The West coast has long held the title as the cannabis mecca of the world. Yes, other places such as Amsterdam have made a name for themselves within the wide world of weed but, the West Coast United States has grown dank from tip to tip for decades.
Becoming one of the pioneer states to sell and tax recreational cannabis has brought both tears of joy and pain to consumers. Legally purchasing your marijuana at the store should be reason enough to celebrate however, seasoned smokers have been slow to adopt to the price of pot.
The Road to Legal Recreational Cannabis in Washington
In 1998 Washington voters passed I-692, approving medical use of cannabis by patients with qualifying conditions.
In 2003 the City of Seattle voted to make all marijuana offense enforcement the lowest priority of the Seattle Police Department.
In 2012 Washington voters passed initiative I-502 which brought cannabis to the recreational market.
In 2013 the Seattle City Council passed a vote to reduce the fine for smoking cannabis in public to just $27.
When recreational cannabis becomes legal in your state you will be bound to see changes in the pricing of the product as well. Initially, prices will likely rise compared to the medical and black markets (unless your black market is currently over-inflated).
In Washington, medical patients were infuriated with the initial price of recreational cannabis. Prices have also had to adjust to the industry switching over to a legal system. With 100% traceability, high tax rates, and endless business hurdles, it is only natural to see an increase on street weed prices. Your dealer never paid these taxes!
Lately prices have come down due to the competitive nature of business and increase in overall production. And they will continue to fall if businesses continue to fight the price war.
