$80 an 1/8th? $450 an Oz?

[Stoner4Life]

I just got back from viewing the gallery pics of the medical mj dispensaries and can't believe the prices they are charging! I can find medical grade mj at half that price and I feel it's a ripoff charging the prices they do. Since when do prices rise when something becomes 'legal'? Is there some kind of HUGE tax that California imposes on medicinal mj? I'd like to ask those who know (any medical mj users like Miss Indica) how they feel about the prices and why they are so high if they know. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure some med patients need and appreciate the convenience of legal location and the variety they would find to suit their ailing, but the prices seem so high. I know you all could find it cheaper, and although the convenience and legal issues do carry some weight I don't feel patients with NEEDS should pay more than I do on the 'street'. As legal dispensaries aren't they privy to writing off the expenses of growing and selling their mj? I would imagine that would help the prices go down. I could be wrong.....I know they still get 'busted' by feds and local law agencies that aren't comfortable with whats going on, but so does the guy in the 'street' that deals mj.

 

[NoDirtWeed4Me]

I'm a california med patient and completely agree with you. The dispensaries jack the prices up sooo much it's nuts. Now $80 an eighth is a bit extreme, My place doesn't have any bud higher than $65 and eighth and as low as $15. The dispensary I used to go to down in San Diego was alot worse, the bud there was atleast $30 more for the same quality or lower than up here in NorCal. It is definitely a huge convinience issue, but you also get a huge variety, definitely more than I've ever seen from any Joe Dimebag delaer.

True I can go and pick up a QP from a grower in Mendo for the same price it would cost me for an OZ from the dispensary, but it's all going to be the same strain, they aren't going to have 25 different strains for me to choose from as well as a variety of hash, edibles, free massage/accupuncture and a loaner Volcano vaporizer.

I use the dispensary more as a treat than an everyday habit. Most the time I'm smokin my homegrown, but I have to have variety. I wish I could go all the time, but like you said, it's just too damn expensive.

The dispensaries are not regulated in any way in most counties, I think that if they were the prices would be more reasonable, because they are not suppost to make profits I believe, but I know they at least double the price from the grower.

 

[Stoner4Life]

I understand business a little bit and realize a store front and an employee is more expensive than me going to 'Joe Weeds' house to get my meds, but I gotta figure the price comes down when legal. After all it doesn't take much coaxing to convince weed to keep growing. If I bought feminised seeds (10 seeds of Kush for $140) and planted them all with an 80% success rate by the time I'd taken two sets of clones I'd be down to a cost of less than $5.00 per plant. What we really have to remember here is that over the years WE have set the market price for weed. Steadily rising along with quality we have endured paying more. But from a legal business stance regardless of the amount of different strains they carry at the dispensaries the prices should go down and certainly NOT up..........
AND! as a separate thought I buy some of my prescription meds from Canada to save money........guess what? When the federal govt. here finally recognizes medical mj WE WILL be buying it from Canada too just to save the money. I know they will offer better prices as they're so far ahead of us in their mj laws and tolerances and they like our U.S dollars. This will happen sooner or later too......

 

[Pinch]

Mr. Stoner, as Mr NDW said, it's a matter of convenience that you are paying for at MCDs. I can tell you from personal experience at an MCD (club) in Vancouver, BC that their prices are no different.. again.. convenience. I wish I was young again with all those platitudes and energies to grow my own but.. shit, plenty other fun things to do.. too easy just to visit a MCD.

they're so far ahead of us in their mj laws and tolerances

Mr Stoner.. they are not that far ahead of us.. there are only 250 people in the entire country who can legally grow and use mmj under Canadian federal law.

And I don't see the "tolerant" Canadian Government actively backing Marc Emery in his fight for freedom from the jaws of the US DEA.. damn man, if you think it's that "far ahead" you must be reading different newspapers than I.

 

[Stoner4Life]

Marc Emery has taken many risks in his endeavour to help those who want seeds to grow their own. He crossed lines I would never try myself nor encourage others to do so. His seeds sold for a GREAT profit as I could always find the same strains at exactly half his price online. He got caught and I feel bad for him.
I've been turned away at the US/Canadian border. Canada wouldn't let me in because of two TWENTY YEAR OLD DWIs, I was warned not to border shop for a weak link in the many entry points they have. That was their law.....their wishes....and I have obeyed them. Had I not I don't think the US would come to my aid either. We all know the risks of breaking the law and it may suck even worse when someone so righteous as Marc Emery gets caught in it.....ask Tommy Chong.
At least Canadas federal govt. recognizes the quality of mj as medicine...... like I said they're SO far ahead of us......
And the tolerance I spoke of is the fact that jail terms aren't usually given out for offenders caught growing pot (please don't confuse this w/ a MAJOR offender getting caught), I'm talking closet grows and such, small amounts tolerance etc.....

 

[Pinch]

oh..

 

[NoDirtWeed4Me]

oh..

lol

 

[Stoner4Life]

yeah.......me too..... oh..... but the fact is (Marc Emerys problems aside Mr Pinch) those are the highest prices for pot I've EVER seen in my life...... just a righteous fuckin' thought on my part I thought for those people in NEED of med mj the prices would/could/should be LOWER. Adding to the cost of the med mj is the extra Drs. visit for a rather specialized prescription. But hey pardon me for taking into consideration those that NEED.........
And btw I didn't start this thread to become a pissin' contest I was only concerned about those in NEED......

 

[NoDirtWeed4Me]

Both Pinch and myself are med patients in NEED. And we both agree, I believe, that prices are too high. We are just explaining our reasons for putting up with it. No need for, or desire for, a pissing contest.

 

[kctrue40]

Here in canada it's 30 canadian bucks an eighth. I can't imagine paying 80!!!!! OMG!! I sure I wouldn't be smokin nothin at those prices!

 

[Marek]

Be glad you don't live in Orange County, CA.

Here the good weed goes all the way up to $95 an Eighth for like OG Kush, and sometimes as much as $35 a gram. This is of course at legal co-ops, and so far none of them have any place to visit, it's all delivery only, so not only do you pay up the nose and a delivery fee sometimes, but also you can't even verify the quality up front. So, it could always be worse eh?

I spend most of my time up at the good ol Hollywood Patients Collective, as I have some job stuff up near them, thankfully. They usually have pretty good prices, for southern california, anyway.

John/Craxx

 

[Stoner4Life]

One of the moderators here recently posted an article about one locales dispensaries being busted..... & one of the main reasons the bust happened was that the authorities knew they operated on the pretense to be non-profit. At the prices being charged they knew there was great profits being made and for that plus other reasons (offenses) closed them down. It might take me awhile to find that article but I will try to include it in this thread when I do.

 

[Stoner4Life]

OK........here's a link to that article I refered to awhile ago...................... California
For the entire article please click on the link above.
And here's a small excerpt I've taken from the entire article:


Federal and state search warrants were executed at more than 11 locations throughout San Diego in a morning raid, and at least five people were arrested, authorities said. Federal charges were expected to be filed Friday, according to U.S. Attorney Carol Lam.
"They made thousands of dollars every day," Lam said. "Their motive was not the betterment of society. Their motive was profit."

:smokin3:

The prices in the dispensaries are a JOKE! The prices these 'providers' offer today are unbelievable, I wouldn't even pay those prices in the future, the far distant future even.

EVEN THOUGH THE RECOGNITION OF MED MJ & THE DISPENSARIES ARE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN ACKNOWLEDGING & ACCEPTING MARIJUANA FOR ITS MEDICINAL VALUE I CANNOT CONDONE THE PRICES THEY CHARGE AND NEVER WILL ACCEPT THEM. AND BECAUSE THE FEDS RECOGNIZE THIS TOO IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY GET THEIR PRICES IN LINE AND DO THE RIGHTEOUS THING.......CHARGE ILL PEOPLE WITH NEEDS A FAIR (lower than market) PRICE FOR THEIR MEDS.
AND BTW WHEN THE FEDS SEE THAT THE STATES, DOCTORS, & PROPRIETERS CANNOT KEEP THE MEDICAL NEEDS ISSUES STRAIGHT........ YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT EVER SEEING MJ BECOME LEGAL OR DECRIMINALIZED. AND SO YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST..............
THE GREED OF THE DISPENSARIES IS NOW GOING TO BE AN ISSUE AND WILL SCREW UP THE CHANCES TO SEE MJ DECRIMINALIZED ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
btw........any dispensaries care to reply, you know where to find me. Tell me why the prices are so high, I really want to know. I'll even give you 'air-time' in my posts if your points and issues are valid........
4Life

I gotta say whats on my mind, never being swayed by popular opinion.

 

[johndough210]

anyone know where the red state of texas is on the legalization process? i wonder where kinky friedman would stand on the issue...

 

[CharlieBlayze]

It always surprises me how dispensaries are charging as much as the street is, and sometimes even more.

Which sometimes makes me doubt the effectiveness of prop 215 and the category of dispensaries, there really is no regulation or oversight whatsoever in that area.

Patients shouldn't be paying $50 an eighth, they should be paying half that. Anything more than $55 an eighth is ridiculous, especially for patients.

 

[CharlieBlayze]

i wouldnt care if i had ot pay good money to people selling me excellent pot on a consistant reliable basis... its a good gig... dont look a gift horse in the mouth,... even tho that saying never made sense to me... ha

You don't. That's good that you make enough money to not worry about some of life's details, however, others do, and there is alot of low income medical cannabis patients.

 

[CharlieBlayze]

and dont get me wrong... i have no money and no job... but i manage to smoke the best buds possible... it is very difficult to pull off and if i had access to buds like the stuff in the clubs, i would feel relived that all i had to do was go to the weed store and pic some up...

No offense, but you sound addicted to bud.

 

[Pinch]

anyone know where the red state of texas is on the legalization process? i wonder where kinky friedman would stand on the issue...

I just got back from a friend's in Texas.. a local Judge gave a guy 7 years for 7 plants..

Does that answer your question? Friedman is pro pot, pro prostitution.

 

[Pinch]

Mr S4L, I can't really speak to the situation in Canada, don't live there any more. Just recently I read that it is now legal to send MMJ through the mail within Canadian borders.

Normal pharmaceuticals I understand are less expensive and one can save big bucks. The American FDA is trying to stop this practice citing potential dangers... hmm.. same manufacturers for the most part.

The MMJ prices: The MCDs do not make the market, they simply participate in the market.

Let me say this. The better MCD's in California have special programs to get free medical cannabis to those that are less fortunate.. all Prop 215 Med patients should ask their MCD's if they have such programs and if not.. ask why.

 

[Janjaweed]

the prices are really insane,
1/8th isnt that much.

and if you opt for something in the 50-60 dollar range the quality can be severly less.
and you cant really tell from just smelling it, its not till you light it up at home and then your like ohh nooooooes this sucks.