“The fact that unlicensed pot dealers continue to thrive in California is testimony to the ways in which the state has botched legalization. Most local governments do not allow recreational sales, and even those that do frequently impose caps that artificially limit the supply. Bureaucratic barriers, costly regulations, and high taxes are daunting deterrents for weed dealers who otherwise might be inclined to go legit.
“The unlicensed market operates with impunity because policing pot is thought to be racist and bad. … The public rightly wants not just a marijuana market but a regulated one. Yet leaders are too squeamish about stopping criminals from running businesses that routinely break the law to deliver such a market.” — Charles Fain Lehman,“For individuals who think this is a cannabis-only issue, it’s important to remember there are black markets for alcohol, for cigarettes, for a lot of goods.
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