Marijuana Growers, Don’t Fear Legalization

19.0 wet grams of Princess Diesel

Well, here we are in the United States, not quite on the advent of legalization but the movement is steady in that direction. We’ll truly be on the advent of legalization when the US Congress starts having the guts to challenge the status quo. But, I doubt that will happen until this treaty business with the UN is addressed. But, I will address that at another time when all my information is gathered.

Anyway, there seems to be a major problem within the marijuana growing community in regards to legalization.

What?

Some folks simply don’t want it legalized. We’re not talking about the maniacs who’ve drinking that DEA juice. We’re talking about the growers who are persecuted AND prosecuted by the very laws they want to protect.

Why?

Well, what really happens if marijuana is legalized? It means that the local and illegal market will have to contend with the world market as well as large money interests who can eye a new major industry.

In other words, COMPETITION.

It’s easy when there isn’t much marijuana to go around and millions of users. You can pretty much charge what you like. If you’re a student of business, as I was (BBA in Marketing), you understand that price can dictate demand if there isn’t enough product to go around. However, demand will dictate price if there is too much product on the market. When marijuana is legalized in the US, you’re going to have entire nations clamoring to supply this hungry market. The situation reverses.

The idea of paying $50 to $65 for an 1/8th (3.5 grams) of marijuana is out of the window.

But, is it?

Absolutely not. I want to let my marijuana growing friends know that it isn’t out of the window at all. The game just changes. And, you will have to learn to adapt with those changes. Let’s look at the tobacco market which, I believe, is identical to what a marijuana market will look like if and when legalized.

Sure, you have companies like Marlboro who sell cigarettes by the ton. But, what do they do to that tobacco? That’s right. We all know that story. The tobacco industry tuns tobacco into smokable bullets. Take enough hits and you will die. It’s as simple as that. However, who says you have to buy tobacco from Marlboro?

I always remember going to Nat Sherman in NYC on 42nd Street. It’s an amazing tobacco shop. They don’t sell crap either. I don’t smoke tobacco at all. However, if I did, Nat Sherman would be the only place I would visit. You go inside and you see jars of loose tobacco on the counter. It looks like a dispensary would look like today. As old as Nat Sherman is, I’d bet they were the model for many of these marijuana dispensaries today. But, they sell tobacco.

Simply put, there are pockets of tobacco aficionados out there. And, I know this doesn’t alleviate your fears but let me show you why you shouldn’t be fearful of a legal marijuana market. Keep reading…

At the same time, you have Mexican drug cartels who sell marijuana by the ton. We all should be familiar with Mexican grown marijuana (see pic). It’s basically the same as corporate tobacco – mistreated and trashed. And, who exists among those large corporations to bring customer high quality marijuana??

YOU EXIST!!!

Just as folks at spots like Nat Sherman don’t care for the low-cost poison that companies like Marlboro deliver to communities around the US, we don’t care for the low-cost poison that Mexican drug cartels deliver around the US. Just like Nat Sherman, you will and have always targeted folks who could afford, and would pay for, a high quality product.

Will things change? Absolutely. But, the change simply means you’ll be able to come out from hiding. You will find it easier to attract better clientele. It’s like the wine industry, the cheese industry, the beef industry and so on. They all have low quality producers and high quality producers. Someone looking forward to a nice wine isn’t going to the corner liquor store for some Yellow Tail.

If you want to stay competitive in the future, worry about the quality of your own product. Don’t worry about the large corporations, the Mexican drug cartels, or nations in Asia, Africa, and so on. They’ll all be thinking about high profits by increasing production and cutting costs. That means, just as they do with tobacco now, they’ll gladly shred up seeds and stems in your future marijuana cigarettes as well as poison them.

They won’t be able to produce a high quality product like you and therefore won’t be able to compete at your level nor for the same customer base. It’ll be the right of the people to choose their poison. And the same market that goes after high quality marijuana right now will be looking for you tomorrow. This is why I say worry about the quality of your product.

Do you think the likes of Marlboro can compete with this when marijuana is legalized?
They can’t even compete with other quality tobacco today!!

Also, differentiation and specialization will become important. Since we may be a few years away from legalization, it’s not a bad idea to shed the European breeders and start some breeding programs of your own right here in the US if you haven’t already. For example, I grew out some Princess Diesel. But, who can’t get Princess Diesel through a quick visit to the Reservoir Seeds or some other seed site. Imagine if I had a strain of my own. Sure I could grow out other stuff. But, this strain would be mine and no one would be able to grow it but me.

So, stand out even more by creating your own strain and stabilize the phenotype (grower talk). We have a few years before marijuana is legalized. It won’t hurt to start now. Just make sure that when you’re finished, you keep seeds in a safe location for the future.