According to a recent report by Reason Foundation, the high taxes levied on state-approved marijuana products as well as the “marijuana deserts,” or localities and municipalities that have banned cannabis sales, have helped the black market to thrive within the state. Geoffrey Lawrence, the managing director of Reason Foundation, says approximately 80% of the localities in California have enforced bans or some form of restriction on marijuana cultivation and sale. He also says that retail outlets are few and far between in the more rural regions of the state. This makes it hard for residents in these areas to access marijuana from licensed sources. Consequently, illicit suppliers have taken advantage of this situation to meet the demand that cannot be satisfied by regulated companies. To show how significant this shortage of retail outlets is, Lawrence points out that nearby Oregon has a cannabis retail facility for every 6.1 residents while the more populous California has a licensed outlet for every 29.2 residents. This per capita distribution of marijuana retail outlets creates opportunities for black market operators to fill the gaps left by state-regulated cannabis suppliers.
CannabisNewsWire, 05/16/2022 04:20:00