IF it happens, that is. I think a lot of people take for granted the idea that it's guaranteed to happen... Also, if it does, it's certainly going to be set up so that its rigged for corporate cronies and other fat cats. That's what the Schedule II nonsense that all the fucking ignorant sheep are begging for entails... everyone goes to jail except big pharma because it becomes their property. It's just a ploy for more control marketed to morons as a loosening of the grip.
That said, a few common misconceptions to clear up and things to keep in mind:
1. Cannabis is NOT the same thing/market as alcohol, for a few reasons:
- Plenty of people are fine drinking PBR and Bud Light, in large part because a percentage of alcohol will get you the same drunk as the equivalent percentage from craft or quality booze. Not very many people, even PBR drinkers, are okay with shitty weed.
- Cannabis, like it or not, isn't the same sort of social catalyst that booze is. Yes people get stoned and have good conversations, but there simply isn't the hundreds of people spending a hundred dollars each buying rounds of shots at bars on weekends sort of market for cannabis. Yes there are cannabis clubs or whatever, but they don't have anything close to the lively, wild night out vibe and market that bars do. There also isn't a huge number of people who spend 6 or 8 consecutive hours with joints in their hands like people do with drinks. I think, with the exception of seasoned tokers, it's easier for people to get too high in the sense of not being comfortable (and takes less time) than for them to get too drunk.
- Organic booze isn't really a thing, except for a very small percentage of wines. People aren't nearly as concerned about organic or otherwise healthy booze as they are organically grown weed. Moreover, it isn't really possible to force a plot of land to produce the maximum yield at the minimum input/expense while growing organically; the close proximity of plants alone is likely if not certain to force the need for heavy-duty fungicides to prevent widespread disease.
2. There is no telling how big or small the market will be. Yes, some people (pussies) refuse to buy or smoke weed until it's legal. But there are also a lot of people -- more people than you think -- who simply don't like smoking weed. Lots of those people go to bars frequently to drink. On the other hand, there also exist a bunch of people who aren't big drinkers but are total stoners. The point is that nobody can really predict what the demand will be or "how many acres" it will take to meet the nation's demand. All that talk is nothing but talk.
3. (Really, really) good weed isn't as plentiful as people think. Nor is NorCal the only place that grows/can sell good pot. In fact, I think that most of the people who think so are the same yuppies who assured all the other kids in elementary school that the shoes they had on were far cooler than everyone else's shoes. Seriously, though. At least as far as med/rec dispensary weed is concerned, most of it was pretty goddamn average. Lots of hype about dogshit (I'd say dirt, but that's an insult to dirt as good dirt is something to be genuinely excited about).
Not every strain is equal in this regard, either. Generally speaking, the most potent of strains tend not to be the heaviest yielders. Sensi Star, for example, is very much a medium-yield plant.
Plus a lot of people growing don't have the skills to bring weed out at its best, which leads us to the final point I want to mention right now:
4. Not any fat-cat or clown with daddy's money can grow quality pot. Nor can they read an instruction manual that details a feeding schedule and soil mix down to the finest details. Growing is more of an art than a science. Reading and copy soil recipes and feeding regimens don't do anything to teach "growers" what it is in their particular grows and locations that they're responding to. People who just think they can read scientific and detailed instructions are in for a rude awakening when they can't figure out why their by-the-book cultivated bitch-made plants are blowing over in the wind, molding after one day of rain, or producing buds that don't stand out at all.
Truth be told, I don't think federal legalization is going to happen within the next decade at least, probably not even within the next 15 years. Maybe longer, maybe never. But if it does, I think that lots of big companies involved are going to be super disappointed in their actual revenue vs projected revenue because their products are likely to be dogshit and weed is one of the few things where people not only recognize but really appreciate and will spend significantly more for quality.
In a society where people have been sold on shitty quality food, booze, houses, cars, etc., I don't think people are going to be sold for long on shitty weed. Then again, lots of people are smoking average weed and thinking it's spectacular, but those are just idiots with flashy shoes -- but there are a lot of people who genuinely want the dankest dank because they actually care. The novelty of the "pre-rolled pack of joints from the gas station" will quickly fade, I think.
Also, if you don't roll your own joints as it is I judge you hard.
That said, a few common misconceptions to clear up and things to keep in mind:
1. Cannabis is NOT the same thing/market as alcohol, for a few reasons:
- Plenty of people are fine drinking PBR and Bud Light, in large part because a percentage of alcohol will get you the same drunk as the equivalent percentage from craft or quality booze. Not very many people, even PBR drinkers, are okay with shitty weed.
- Cannabis, like it or not, isn't the same sort of social catalyst that booze is. Yes people get stoned and have good conversations, but there simply isn't the hundreds of people spending a hundred dollars each buying rounds of shots at bars on weekends sort of market for cannabis. Yes there are cannabis clubs or whatever, but they don't have anything close to the lively, wild night out vibe and market that bars do. There also isn't a huge number of people who spend 6 or 8 consecutive hours with joints in their hands like people do with drinks. I think, with the exception of seasoned tokers, it's easier for people to get too high in the sense of not being comfortable (and takes less time) than for them to get too drunk.
- Organic booze isn't really a thing, except for a very small percentage of wines. People aren't nearly as concerned about organic or otherwise healthy booze as they are organically grown weed. Moreover, it isn't really possible to force a plot of land to produce the maximum yield at the minimum input/expense while growing organically; the close proximity of plants alone is likely if not certain to force the need for heavy-duty fungicides to prevent widespread disease.
2. There is no telling how big or small the market will be. Yes, some people (pussies) refuse to buy or smoke weed until it's legal. But there are also a lot of people -- more people than you think -- who simply don't like smoking weed. Lots of those people go to bars frequently to drink. On the other hand, there also exist a bunch of people who aren't big drinkers but are total stoners. The point is that nobody can really predict what the demand will be or "how many acres" it will take to meet the nation's demand. All that talk is nothing but talk.
3. (Really, really) good weed isn't as plentiful as people think. Nor is NorCal the only place that grows/can sell good pot. In fact, I think that most of the people who think so are the same yuppies who assured all the other kids in elementary school that the shoes they had on were far cooler than everyone else's shoes. Seriously, though. At least as far as med/rec dispensary weed is concerned, most of it was pretty goddamn average. Lots of hype about dogshit (I'd say dirt, but that's an insult to dirt as good dirt is something to be genuinely excited about).
Not every strain is equal in this regard, either. Generally speaking, the most potent of strains tend not to be the heaviest yielders. Sensi Star, for example, is very much a medium-yield plant.
Plus a lot of people growing don't have the skills to bring weed out at its best, which leads us to the final point I want to mention right now:
4. Not any fat-cat or clown with daddy's money can grow quality pot. Nor can they read an instruction manual that details a feeding schedule and soil mix down to the finest details. Growing is more of an art than a science. Reading and copy soil recipes and feeding regimens don't do anything to teach "growers" what it is in their particular grows and locations that they're responding to. People who just think they can read scientific and detailed instructions are in for a rude awakening when they can't figure out why their by-the-book cultivated bitch-made plants are blowing over in the wind, molding after one day of rain, or producing buds that don't stand out at all.
Truth be told, I don't think federal legalization is going to happen within the next decade at least, probably not even within the next 15 years. Maybe longer, maybe never. But if it does, I think that lots of big companies involved are going to be super disappointed in their actual revenue vs projected revenue because their products are likely to be dogshit and weed is one of the few things where people not only recognize but really appreciate and will spend significantly more for quality.
In a society where people have been sold on shitty quality food, booze, houses, cars, etc., I don't think people are going to be sold for long on shitty weed. Then again, lots of people are smoking average weed and thinking it's spectacular, but those are just idiots with flashy shoes -- but there are a lot of people who genuinely want the dankest dank because they actually care. The novelty of the "pre-rolled pack of joints from the gas station" will quickly fade, I think.
Also, if you don't roll your own joints as it is I judge you hard.