Legal Weed Is Being Ruined By Corporate Greed 

Support your local black market drug dealer 🫡

Im so damn tired of everything in the world being owned by big corporation

Imagine how great a local farmers market would be

Even drug dealers are less greedy than corporations.

Greed is not the desire for more, it's the desire for more at the expense of others.

I work as a lab tech for a medical cannabis company. All of this is true, that’s why I’m getting out of the medical weed industry. Cool ass job and cool people but you can feel the corporatism and greed throughout the company. The pay is not what it should be and the entire business model is “expand faster than the other guy and constantly sell things at a discount” the higher ups calling the shots do not give a damn about weed or understand the chemistry and biology of it, they’re stereotypical-LinkedIn ass capitalists

It should revert to the status it had before 1938: essentially equivalent to lettuce. Anybody can grow it. No licenses required.

Hence why we need to fight against legalizing mushrooms......these corporations will destroyyy it.

Anything that is beneficial, convenient, useful, or even wanted by people is always tainted whenever corporations get their filthy hands on it.

When the human race goes (near) extinct and the planet is a wasteland, we can thank corporate greed. Every problem in most of our lives has its roots in corporate greed.

I lived in Denver from 2003-2014. I saw firsthand how the industry started out good, and was very quickly taken over by corporate greed.

​​ As soon as New Mexico began licensing "dispensaries" we've got one within spitting distance of every street corner. Just a few blocks from my house there is a 24/7 DRIVE THROUGH pot store. You don't even need to be able to STAND UP to buy weed but it's evidently OK TO DRIVE WHILE LOADED.

We are a year away from Walmarts Great Value Indica, 13.95 an ounce.

It was never going to be made legal until it could be fully controlled by the same corporations that own everything else. Everything is financial capital..

So this is a version of what happened in Canada, but exponentially worse. Canada similarly made the licencing favor big businesses, and then when legalization hit it caused a major economic destabilization to occur. Far from gangs and organized criminals the true face of the so called "black market" for cannabis in Canada was made up of average people growing plantations on hillsides, and in basements all over the country, but the legalization legislation that favored giant corporations, meant that none of the infrastructure that made up a large portion of the countries rural economy was able to translate over. When the giant corporations took over they flooded the wholesale markets with cheap sub par cannabis that drowned out what remained of the black market causing the wholesale value of black market cannabis to plummet lower than the cost of production. Since the black market cannabis trade made up so much of the rural economies especially in BC it caused a chain reaction, where even non cannabis related businesses could no longer stay afloat, and entire communities crumbled and shrank. There's not a lot of economic opportunity in rural canada, and logging, mining, and tourism aren't quite lucrative enough to justify the merchant and service industries in a lot of towns. Without cannabis bringing outside wealth into rural areas. everything from restaurants to hardware stores, to mechanics, to grocery stores started to go out of business, and people began to move away enmass. On top of this the retail cost of cannabis just got worse. People who were used to thinking of $200 ounces as being expensive were now forced to buy from dispensaries that sold that very same cheap pot that destroyed the pound market for triple the wholesale value. Instead of the consumer getting a better deal on their pot the average retail price became higher than the worst of street pricing on the black market. Instead of $200 ounces the average consumer could expect to pay up to $380 an ounce for pot that was on par with what had previously been black market B and C grade pot. Making matters even worse for the consumer; big corporations didn't care about quality and safety in the same way that the consumer driven black market had. Since cannabis growing had been decriminalized for medical growers long before legalization the culture that surrounded cannabis production was one of trying to make the safest and most effective medicine. Using better fertilizers, flushing techniques, and trying to make a product that had the highest benefit at the least detriment to the user, but the big corporations and the legislation that favored them didn't take that attitude into account. Instead the legislation treated cannabis more like tobacco (which allows for little to no safety oversight), and big corporations rushed to pump out the cheapest most chemically infused crops that they could. This didn't sit well with a lot of consumers and nobody really wanted the first generation of sub par poorly grown chem weed which is what lead to the surplus that flooded the pound market as many of these early legal corporations actually lost money, and went out of business. Unfortunately the surplus of crap caused the black market to crumble as I mentioned before, which in turn led to an eventual power vacuum, that a few of the companies who figured out the culture later began to capitalize on. While the quality improved the damage was already done to the preexisting cannabis economy, and the consumer still got shafted, because the retail prices remained primarily the same with a few deals lower spread out here and there. The few black market growers that managed to weather the storm found themselves still unable to maintain a wholesale market, because the wholesale black market value remained too low to cover production costs. This forced them to downsize and begin to rely on small time direct to consumer sales at still lower prices than what they were used to. On the one hand this was great for those specific consumers lucky enough to know a grower, because it allowed them to get higher grade pot at a fraction of retail cost, but it also meant that those farmers are still barely able to make ends meat, and perhaps only slowed the decline into bankruptcy, because just as the lack of the black market economy devastated rural economies much of that decline is still occuring, and the poor people living in the rural communities patronizing what remains of these growers, are slowly becoming poorer and less able to afford to continue. Corporate cannabis marks the slow decline of rural canada. I don't imagine the same is quite so true in the states, because rural cannabis makes up a far smaller percent of most communities economies, but the corporatization of cannabis legislation likely equally represents a threat to public health and safety as the early cannabis corporations in Canada did. They won't care about producing a health conscious product, like tobacco they view it as a way to make as much money as possible with the least concern for the users health. Florida is the perfect proof of this as every other corner store and gas station has its own brand of industrial hemp flower sprayed with synthetically produced legal cannabinoids that were soluded in industrial solvents before application. Your lucky to find a brand that doesn't give off black smoke and residue that resembles the stuff that burns off petroleum based candles when you go to extinguish them. Even with some of the better produced ones the effects of the synthetic cannabinoids themselves can be absolutely terrifying. None of them even remotely resemble regular cannabis, and all of it feels absolutely poisonous.

This is an interesting video and i can tell you're working hard. Just note - the bg music is SUPER distracting - especially on laptop - the drums and effects overwhelm your voice. I hope this is helpful!

Greedy rich folks ruining everything for everyone but themselves? In other news, water is wet.

John Boehner, former Speaker of the House, who fought to keep tough penalties for weed, has now joined a large corporation, Acreage Holdings, a major player in big cannabis. He fought to put little people in prison but when they found a way to venture capitalize weed he was all in.

The dispensary I worked at started forcing employees to sign NDAs. I don't know what they're trying to keep secret. But I quit working for them. We were selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product every month in our staff on the ground were barely making a living wage. Support your local drug dealer.

Ex Amazon worker here: if they enforced pot policies that would defintly mean atleast 50% of people working at my facility were defiantly be gone. I’m no expert here but judging from what I have seen, that would defiantly affect end customers.

When MO was legalizing, one of my wife's friends and her husband were preprepping to open a dispensary, she has months of asset acquisition, inspections, stacks of paperwork everything so they could pen the day things were legal and be up and running... only to watch those initial licenses go to like 3 huge companies and almost no local businesses. They had jumped through EVERY hoop, there's no reason they shouldn't have qualified, other than the obvious. So I appreciate the thesis here

MONEY OUT OF POLITICS SO WE CAN HAVE POLITICIANS WHO ACTUALL DO SOMETHING FOR THE 99% PLEASE!! 😤😤

It's the ideal product to keep local and encourage creation of a cottage industry which will provide jobs and security... ruined by greed.

DMT, LSD and psilocybin containing mushroom are just amazing with so many health benefits. Psilocybin mushrooms treatment saved my life honestly from addiction and depression. 8 years totally clean. Never thought I would be saying this about mushrooms.

Wow, what are the odds. I work at Trulieve and I just started my lunch break and decided to pull up something to watch. I saw the title for this and immediately thought "I wonder if they're gonna mention Trulieve?" I'd already heard a bit about how greedy they were, but this really blows the lid off. Also they pay us $13.50 an hour here in FL and largely rely on tips to supplement that 🙄

You are 100% correct. Since the 1930's a politician put the stops on Marijuana. Because their drugs were being put on the shelves. Now it becomes legal they want the profits. Power is sinking faster & faster as I text.

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

Knew this shit was tarnished when it gave me panic attacks like i was in highschool again

I used to say that Industry ruins everything it touches. Now I know better. And I know that capitalism ruins everything it touches.

They knew this was going to happen even before it was legalized

We’ve got 7 or 8 different dispensaries in my Florida town. Seems like plenty to choose from. You walk into Truleive and it’s like walking into a iPhone store. Streamline purchasing process. Only grip I have is these hybrid strains are all very similar I taste and effect. A longer flowering old school sativa would be a welcome addition to the menu.

Thank you sooo much for blasting that horrendous music throughout the whole of the video. It added sooo much more.

Anyone remember former Speaker of the House John Boener who I believe was against marijuana usage while in office but became a proud grower/seller once it became legal? No principles. Or maybe he’s just a strict follower of the law. Which means if prostitution ever became federally legal he’d become a pimp overnight.

Smoked weed for 25 years. It just became legal and I finally quit smoking haha. wtf.😂

Another example of politicians profiting off their position, every damn on of them is corrupt.

Go back to the days when NORML and other advocates used to scream about, legalizing Marijuana. Their cry to get it legalized was, "Well, make it legal, and Tax it and Regulate it, and everybody is happy and the Government will no longer oppose it because they make money on it. OK, there you have it. You got what you asked for.

There is absolutely open corruption in my state...artificial shortage, allowable mold levels, Harassment of local growers...etc

College Humor predicted this years ago. When Colorado legalized weed, they made a skit about how corporate weed undermined weed culture, like the relationship between dealers and users.

And I heard that when it would go legal, the price would come down because there would be so much of it! I have major chronic pain and I still can't afford any form of it. Insurance will pay for opiates, but not bud. With help from a friend I purchased some gummies a while back from a licensed dispensary and the first 3 or 4 worked, the rest didn't. On a side note, why does it have to smell like you're burning a skunks ass? I grew up on weed in the 70s, and 80s. Concerts smelled pleasant. Now the shit's so strong people are violently vomiting from it.

Capitalism will spare no medicine from corporate greed

It's legal in Canada and the corporations tried for monopoly and failed. The small companies won and you can also just grow your own legally.

I seen this happen in my state in Michigan when it got legalized, it was passed with the idea that people who “have been done wronged” by the law over weed would have first opportunities for business and job, and that’s not what we saw, we saw corporations get licenses before any start up business, now our cities are over run with corporate cannabis shops, the weed they are selling is 2+ years old due to statewide tester shortages, so you get dry dusty product that doesn’t taste good and is genuinely not as good as homegrown at the moment, makes it hard for anyone to compete, and compete legally, since now you hear about smaller shops buying from farmers then selling without going through state processing since it takes 2 years to be legally processed.

Completely decriminalizing it would mean anyone can just grow what they want, like anyone can just grow a tobacco or cigar plant in the garden if they feel like it, really doesn't matter what "big" corporations do.

In New Mexico, before the legislation to approve medical exemption cards reached the Governor's desk, one man had already secured the land and resources to meet a third of the state's demand. Anyone else in his shoes would have been under investigation by police based on purchase history alone, but since he was a former politician, he got to found multiple brands on day one. The approval process took weeks, months, or even years for all other applicants. His companies still control a huge swath of the state production and distribution now that recreational has been normalized statewide and it's hard to buy pot anywhere in the state that he doesn't profit from. Same product, different cartel. The system isn't just corrupt. The system is built for corruption.

The “great filter” theory on why we don’t have a galaxy full of aliens makes a lot more sense now. I think the problem was the Carl Sagan types describing the filter as a physics problem when it turns out it’s just greed 🤷‍♂️.

I'm in my 70's and every teacher I had in elementary school had a desk just like the one you are sitting at. Thanks for the memories.

This is my shocked face. Didn't even need to watch the video to figure that out. Kinda like how politicians won't legalize it until they figure out how they can get their financial interests set up ahead of time.

My big problem is in Florida. You can't grow for medical use. That's just insane and makes it expensive.

Yeah, southern Oregon had growers for many many decades. They've all been brushed aside as rich investors, like Jim Belushi, came and took over the industry when it became legal.

It needs to been considered a crop to be sold just like anything in your garden.

I stopped vaping after the meaning of "resin" shifted from "tar" to "any plant material" and when it became more broad, they added in different additives that irritate my throat. There's lots of different euphemisms for the different terpentenes like "live resin!", "CO2 oil", and the consumer has little to base their decision on. I asked the guy at the dispensary and he said the same thing.

Same in the U.S. wine industry. California used to produce some of the best wines in the world. Now, 3 corporations have grabbed up about 70% of U.S. Wine market and U.S. wine is mostly trash.

in my state, corporations are lobbying to stop home growers.

Thank you for using your platform to cover this issue!

They started tampering with it about a year ago now it's full of chemicals you will get hives and anxiety stomach hurts😢😢😢 we can't have nothing

In MS, you have to get a "subscription" to a special DOCTOR, who is the only person who can give you a "card." This subscription costs between $350- $500 per year, before you even buy the weed. Last I heard, that's more than most US families have in the bank... in the POOREST state in the country.

Corporate greed is why the world is ruined 🤬

After being fired from a MI grow for 6 mo. of work (i missed 3 days total) that recently was just purchased by HUGE Corporate investors, this video really hits the nail on the head. 1000s of workers hired and fired and working for less than $15/hr whilst producing MILLIONS IS the norm. How are we all just allowing this shit to happen.!?!

New York was a great example? As a person who was involved in the New York CBD industry, the corruption ran very deep with a only a handful of politically connected individuals controlling every segment of the industry. New York was not a good model of anything other than the most money wins.

It’s the legality and conditions under which it’s grown that the public buys it. As usual corporations hands on is, will ruin it.

McDonald's of weed Still boycott worthy

Here in MN, we are reserving a portion of licenses for members of communities disproportionately impacted by the “war on drugs.” There is also a provision that all licenses must be help be residents. (At least outside of reservations; tribal nations can set their own rules).

It's a bit sad that I had a fear that something like this would happen back before anything was legalized

Weed was only allowed to be legalized because the corporations saw a new profit stream from it.

My solution is to grow my own cannabis. 💚🔥🧬🌿

I work in a technically illegal dispensary, all our products come from home growers, the other stuff is much worse!

It seemed as though some influences were too eager to legalize weed. This story helped me to understand why. I should have known.

All we need is to push for them to let us grow our own.

Dont by it from corporations!!!

Remember that old booklet from the seventies called(Grow your own stone). If you can find it. It shows an easy cheap way to grow good weed. The yield fom their method is two ounces a month . Another booklet is the( Clear light growth system). This one is also shows how to filter and Synthesize the weed oil all the way to honey and cherry oil and even pure THC crystal acetate. Good hunting . Much love.

In the 1930s regulators (FCC) were also aware of the threat of monopolization in the broadcast industry and instituted specific measures which have now all but been obliterated. See: Communications Act of 1934.

In my state (West Virginia) they changed the medical cannabis law at the very end to outlaw growing personal plants, outlaw edibles, and outlaw smoking of it - leaving patients to use only the overpriced vaporizers ignoring many of the digestive and immune systems suffers.

Nah cause that weed tax is WILD they be charging $50 just to buy an 8th

Why drag the equity garbage into this? It has nothing to do with the quality of product or Humane treatment of employees.🙄

Thanks for making this vid. I've grown up around cannabis farming and its all I've done as an adult but since "legalization" my Heart is broken for what's happened to the culture and the market. At 32 when my skills are at there highest my best options are to walk away and grow veggies or go grow a million dollar crop for some rich guy and only get paid 100,000 dollars for it. I will grow veggies.. But the pain of giving up will always be there...

I’ve been in the legal cannabis industry in Colorado for ten ten years and the horror stories I could tell you are crazy legal cannabis is more crooked then tobacco

I don't understand how they can charge fed tax when you buy at the dispensary, but it's not federally legal.

Take a look at ohio. We voted on an initiative to legalize weed which means citizens already disagree with the govt. Then, once voters got weed legalized, the initiative immediately began getting lobbied and changed. Imo theres no point to vote on anything as a citizen of the US, rich people will just get what you "voted" on changed for their benefit. another example of how we are so clearly in a gilded age.

Why is anyone buying legal weed to begin with? The whole point in legalization was so we could all lose the fear while growing our own. Derp.

I always thought the goal for a free market solution should have been *abolishing* the old federal law versus "legalization" that will still have corporate gate keepers and political restriction that prevent normal people from living life, growing and smoking, without either of their interference.

No corruption on that Florida bill at all. Not.

I’m 67 yo believe me what ever you can do for yourself you’re better off , grow your own !

Very informative breakdown on the topic at hand. Thanks for putting it together. I did not know about Trulieve and how much influence they have on the cannabis industry. Same for Altria.

If you live in a state where cannabis is legal you can simply grow it yourself. I can’t speak for all such states, but in Oregon you can legally have up to four plants per household.

egal Weed Is Being Ruined By Corporate Greed - Well that's a no-brainer..been happening forever.

The worst part of legal weed has been the manipulation of seed genetics which has reduced the amount of THC-9, the substance that gives a person the high feeling, and in it's place has used the artificial process of adding terpenes to give the new weed strains their flavor. I remember discussing the potential of legal weed 40 years ago and how most users said the legalization would ruin it and here we are today.

Businesses will always be greedy - their whole goal is to make a profit. The real issue here is that there aren’t any antilobbying laws. In a free market, competition is encouraged. You should overcome your competition through better product and pricing, not through political manipulation.

Government pot in Canada is terrible. Dry, moldy tasting. Taste like it’s been sprayed with something and gives no relief. I swear that it gives you anxiety and paranoia. It’s not the same we’ve always had.

A colorado weed company gave me brain damage from a beam falling on my head and withheld witnesses to bury me. Shit was wild asf.

Commercial grade weed has ruined the market.

Support your legacy growers! When you have plenty of seeds, know to cultivate plants and know how to make your own seeds, you don't need MSOs.

Meanwhile, I have cerebral palsy and I’m tied up in a ball with spasticity and all their drugs that they offer me like flexor all and other muscle relaxants don’t work luckily, I’m in Florida and I can get my medical cannabis card and I am now very much considering it

thank you for your reporting. I get so overwhelmed and yet I kown I can't just bury my head in the sand. Reporting like yours helps so much.

Dang. If you gave every Floridian 7 joints, they would all have at least 8 each!

Its crazy cause the small guys who got 25 to life all this time for a gram of weed will not benefit from legalization and honestly should be compensated for wasting their lives. Plus, its so hard to get into the cannabis industry like its absolutely ridiculous being priced out like ten fold.

It's all garbage! It doesn't get me high! I'm in Florida and Trulieve wants to legalize weed but we can't grow our own at home and the weed they grow sucks! It doesn't get me high at all! A f*cking shame! And they sell weed they claim is at 30% THC and over 4% total terps yet it doesn't get me high and none of it is loud and potent! Maybe that crap will get my mother high but she hasn't smoked in 40 yrs!

Please turn the music down in the next video

Any legalization bill should have a provision for personal use plants.

support the small companies that handle their bud with love and car

They always talk about the strain, but it doesnt mean much when it is grown poorly, rushed to market, fast dried and crappy. Good soil, limited fertilizer, proper flushing, slow drying and working on perfecting the cure Good 1/8's that I've seen can't even fit in the containers that 1/8's come in The buds still look alive and have smells that are so, so pleasant You open up a jar and someone comes from 2 blocks away and says, "Damn!"