Move To Legalize Marijuana In California Sparks Fears About Drop In Prices

[StinkFinger]

There is nothing wrong with a CEO of a NON profit making a decent salary to do what he has to.

Damn RED CROSS!!!!!!!!!! They are ripping people off and need to be shut down... they are supposed to do this for free!

Hey Ganja.

Last thing I want to do is add more drama, but which of your above statements do you support? In one sentence you say there is nothing wrong with making a decent salary, yet you say the Red Cross guys are getting paid too much?

So really you just decide what's fair and just? Doesn't seem like you can have it both ways. Which was my basic point about a Worker cooperative, fairly new to the US, but has been working in other parts of the world for quite some time.

SF

 

[GanjaAL2]

Sorry brother... I was being sarcastic...LOL

 

[GanjaAL2]

Everyone wants this to be fair and they complain about all the stipulations they put on medical marijuana but yet they do not treat the nonprofit collectives, coops and dispensories like they treat other nonprofit organizations.

This is why I feel it is to early to pass legalization until we can come to some sort of fair arrangement.

 

[ecoins]

I hope it lowers the price. I walked in a dispensary i used a couple years or less back. They said my price, and the stuff on the counter took out a calculator and she went to add tax...TAX on my oz price. $26. in TAX

I said no thanks, left, went to another place, waited for my quick verification.
Paid a bit more but good first time price.

If they start doing this, I asked the new place, please...just include it in the price so we don't see it then it's adjustable without the pain.

So, I do hope all this lowers the price, cause i think the tax will bring it back up a little.
Anyone? What say you???

 

[GanjaAL2]

Like I said... brick weed is so cheap right now... you can get it just about anywhere. It goes for 50.00/oz. You get what you pay for. Taxing may throw it up a notch but again who knows how they will inforce it.

Be lucky it is only 26.00 in tax... they are getting ready to stick you with a 50.00/oz tax... how about them apples. NOt sure if legalization is the way to go yet until we can make sure it works for everyone.

 

[MMRC Grower]

What I would like to see is the collectives put their profits into lowering the prices(or giving away) to people on low incomes. Most disabled people are on fixed incomes like myself. If all the workers got a share of the "pie" that would be great, but there is a need for a manager or board chair (some title) so the group can be held accountable. I have run an NGO in Toronto on Bay St. I had to herd vollunteers (like herding cats!) and try and meet all deadlines. Somebody has to be paid for keeping track of the books and setting up accounts. You can not have 50 people signing for a co-op cheque! It is a nice idea, but I have not seen it work anywhere; a group run by committee usually gets bogged down.

Its not like a collective is a big corporation or anything like that. They are usually ran by a group of around 10 people max. As long as everyone has the same goal at mind, and no one needs to be baby sat, then things can run smoothly without all the fancy job titles and corporate ladder.

 

[MMRC Grower]

That's a very good explanation. No one questions places like the Red Cross, etc b/c it seems so understandable that they need a staff, etc to run the place. And, clearly, a staff should get a reasonable salary to live off of. But, for some reason, when running a dispensary, it ONLY makes sense to have one if everything is given away for free & someone pays for the rent, several lawyers that are on retainer, all of the electricity, the water bill, the maintenance, computers, office supplies, etc, etc.... (it's a long list, I promise)... But like I was saying if you don't remember before I started this list... for some reason, it ONLY makes sense, when running a dispensary, to have one if all of those things are paid for out of pocket by someone & everything is given away for free. It just makes me bang my head against the wall that people cannot see a COOP/Dispensary as any other NPO. There are plain ol regular expenses just like any other NPO. Heck, it is any other NPO!!! Just a stereotyped NPO.

Are people mad b/c they don't give out cookies and juice before ya leave? The Red Cross makes me do that after I give blood so I don't get light headed and get into a car crash. They told me it's b/c they are liable if I pass out. They have volunteers too. They also have paid workers. I'm pretty sure they have to pay their electric bills and all that... And they also get donations as well. Hmmm.... sounds fishy.

ETA: It's important to remember that there are GOOD AND BAD dispensaries out there. I think that it is human nature to more often recall, report, talk about the bad experience than the good ones though. And if you are having so many bad ones, or going to high priced places, or places that you feel are giving you more of an experience of being "sold to by a salesman" than where you feel like you are a part of something or where you want to go back to, where you are treated like you matter, etc... well, then stop going back. I started to volunteer at the place I was talking about in my PP b/c I felt so welcome there. AND I often went there just to stop in, not even b/c I NEEDED anything. Find a place like THAT, and go there. I know our regulars by name, and even a lot of times by voice on the phone. All of the people that volunteer at the coop are like that. Our members are like a big family.

Preach on Sungoddes.... Im right here with ya.

 

[MMRC Grower]

Everyone wants this to be fair and they complain about all the stipulations they put on medical marijuana but yet they do not treat the nonprofit collectives, coops and dispensories like they treat other nonprofit organizations.

This is why I feel it is to early to pass legalization until we can come to some sort of fair arrangement.

I totally agree with you. Just the other week another collective got raided by the San Bernardino Sheriff's department. They took 12 people into custody, 10 people spent the night in jail and 2 people of that group still remain in jail.

This was a legit collective. Abiding by all laws, but since San Bernardino has failed to set regulations when it comes to zoning in this county, they were harassed and thrown in jail. I follow every board meeting that this county has. Each time I see Zoning regulations for Medical Marijuana businesses come up on the agenda list... its always the same thing. They postpone in to 3-6 month later. Then it comes up again... and they do the same thing. Since there are no zoning regulations, a collective/coop or dispensary are not allowed to open up shop anywhere in the county. People do it anyway because they feel that they will be protected by state law.

So Im watching this one closely to see what happens with the 2 people that are still in jail because of this. The Sheriff's Department, the DA, the Judges... and everyone else involved in this are completely disregarding state law and trying to persecute these people for trying to provide a medicine to the ill. What kind of crap is that??

Anyway... I wrote all that to make this point. If there is so much tension between law and county officials over Medical Marijuana, how do you think they are going to react if it were to become legal?? These people dont respect the law now... what makes everyone think that they will if its legalized. These are sick people that need marijuana to get through the day and law enforcement are constantly harassing the distributors of these meds. The president himself reassured medical marijuana patients that they would no longer be harassed with him in office and look at what continues to happen.

We havent even won the battle with Medical marijuana.... law enforcement doesnt even respect the law.... I cant even imagine why anyone would be trying to legalize it completely. As Ganja wrote above... I think its way too early for legalization. Counties are going to try and sue the state... once they lose, they will be even more furious then what they were with the legalization of medical use. Medical Marijuana use has been legal since 1996.... and still my county of San Bernardino, still does not allow collectives or Coops to open up in the county. They refuse to even tolerate it, let alone allow it.

 

[GanjaAL2]

If they can not enforce the laws and do what they want they are not LE... they are Terrorists!

Def. of a Terrorist: a. a person who employs terror or terrorism, esp as a political weapon

 

[GanjaAL2]

Hey brother... what in heck do they classify as a collective???

 

[honestone]

I am asking all dispensaries to post a copy of their tax returns as well as a copy of the owners tax returns so we can see they are "non profit."
no one "donates" marijuana. Members SELL marijuana to a dispensary in exchange for cash. Then the dispensary SELLS the marijuana to customers in exchange for cash. Lets call it what it is and it is a sale. Prove m e wrong by allowing me to enter your dispensary with no money and leave with 7 grams of your most expensive marijuana.
Ganja posted the salary of Red Cross CEO. Now, to be fair, post the salaries of dispensary owners.

 

[Warbux]

I am asking all dispensaries to post a copy of their tax returns as well as a copy of the owners tax returns so we can see they are "non profit."
no one "donates" marijuana. Members SELL marijuana to a dispensary in exchange for cash. Then the dispensary SELLS the marijuana to customers in exchange for cash. Lets call it what it is and it is a sale. Prove m e wrong by allowing me to enter your dispensary with no money and leave with 7 grams of your most expensive marijuana.
Ganja posted the salary of Red Cross CEO. Now, to be fair, post the salaries of dispensary owners.

Have you ever heard of Freedom Of Information Act, or FOIA? Use it to access those coveted records you keep talking about...

 

[GanjaAL2]

I am asking all dispensaries to post a copy of their tax returns as well as a copy of the owners tax returns so we can see they are "non profit."
no one "donates" marijuana. Members SELL marijuana to a dispensary in exchange for cash. Then the dispensary SELLS the marijuana to customers in exchange for cash. Lets call it what it is and it is a sale. Prove m e wrong by allowing me to enter your dispensary with no money and leave with 7 grams of your most expensive marijuana.
Ganja posted the salary of Red Cross CEO. Now, to be fair, post the salaries of dispensary owners.

Better yet... how about you grow your own. If you feel they are to high... don't buy it. I am sure you can grow some high quality strains for yourself no problem and insure it is chem free with no bugs. I am sure you can grow tons for yourself with all the money you have so you can buy the best equipement possible and all the nutrients and stuff.

Or just go by some brick weed for 50.00 or are you just looking for a freebee and do not care what it cost's your fellow man to produce which would make you a thief.

All I get from you is me, me and it is not fair... how about the fact that I do not see anyone bitching about the salaries of other nonprofits!

 

[TorturedSoul]

Have you ever heard of Freedom Of Information Act, or FOIA? Use it to access those coveted records you keep talking about...

Thought that was for government information.

 

[MMRC Grower]

Hey brother... what in heck do they classify as a collective???

Here's the definition.....

A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project(s) to achieve a common objective. Collectives are also characterised by attempts to share and exercise political and social power and to make decisions on a consensus-driven and egalitarian basis. Collectives differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an economic benefit or saving (but can be that as well).

Just throw medical marijuana into that, along with people coming together for that purpose... and then you have a collective. Its like a club. You join my club by filling out the club app and thats the basics.

 

[MMRC Grower]

I am asking all dispensaries to post a copy of their tax returns as well as a copy of the owners tax returns so we can see they are "non profit."
no one "donates" marijuana. Members SELL marijuana to a dispensary in exchange for cash. Then the dispensary SELLS the marijuana to customers in exchange for cash. Lets call it what it is and it is a sale. Prove m e wrong by allowing me to enter your dispensary with no money and leave with 7 grams of your most expensive marijuana.
Ganja posted the salary of Red Cross CEO. Now, to be fair, post the salaries of dispensary owners.

You can call it what you want, but the facts are... it cost money to grow weed. If you think you can grow your own for cheaper... then go for it. Whats stopping you?? Instead of complaining about how much people are making off of this, grow your own. Problem solved right there. And while your at it, you should go around to all of the other non-profit organizations and demand to see there tax returns as well. I dont know what you hope to accomplish by that, but when you deal with medical marijuana... these dispensaries and coops put there ass*'s on the line to provide weed to people like you, who show no appreciation at all. Dispensaries are constantly getting raided.... and just in case you didnt know what they do during a raid... they tear apart all of your shi*t and they detain everyone for questioning. If its a raid on a grow room, they chop down all of your plants and confiscate all of your equipment. If you win in court, sure... you'll get your equipment back... but probably broken, and you dont get those chopped down plants back. So your pretty much forced to start from square one. And that doesnt even take into consideration the jail time that you'll have to do. It wont be long if you have a good lawyer, but if you dont have some type of backup, then your going to do more then just a few days.

So how much do you think all of that is going to cost?? On top of crap like that happening, they already have the other cost of doing business. Paying employee wages, electricity bills, internet bills, phone bills, rent (and rent for business buildings isnt cheap), you have to pay for the weed from growers, you have to pay taxes, you have to pay for licensing and the list goes on. So are you willing to pay for all of that and put your as*s on the line to provide weed to people? Let a lone for free??? If not, then you should really just stop the complaining.

 

[GanjaAL2]

That is what I thought as well... now these collectives that they are busting I wonder how they faulter from this??? As I see it... you have a collective body who runs the store front for the collective body to come in and reinburse the collective for their time and effort. Kinda clear cut if you ask me.

 

[GanjaAL2]

You can call it what you want, but the facts are... it cost money to grow weed. If you think you can grow your own for cheaper... then go for it. Whats stopping you?? Instead of complaining about how much people are making off of this, grow your own. Problem solved right there. And while your at it, you should go around to all of the other non-profit organizations and demand to see there tax returns as well. I dont know what you hope to accomplish by that, but when you deal with medical marijuana... these dispensaries and coops put there ass*'s on the line to provide weed to people like you, who show no appreciation at all. Dispensaries are constantly getting raided.... and just in case you didnt know what they do during a raid... they tear apart all of your shi*t and they detain everyone for questioning. If its a raid on a grow room, they chop down all of your plants and confiscate all of your equipment. If you win in court, sure... you'll get your equipment back... but probably broken, and you dont get those chopped down plants back. So your pretty much forced to start from square one. And that doesnt even take into consideration the jail time that you'll have to do. It wont be long if you have a good lawyer, but if you dont have some type of backup, then your going to do more then just a few days.

So how much do you think all of that is going to cost?? On top of crap like that happening, they already have the other cost of doing business. Paying employee wages, electricity bills, internet bills, phone bills, rent (and rent for business buildings isnt cheap), you have to pay for the weed from growers, you have to pay taxes, you have to pay for licensing and the list goes on. So are you willing to pay for all of that and put your as*s on the line to provide weed to people? Let a lone for free??? If not, then you should really just stop the complaining.

I know... what he should do... is go out... buy all the stuff needed to grow and do everything that a collective, dispensory or delivery service would do and give it all away for free...! Of course he won't as I am sure he does not have the money to do so... and if he does then what is he waiting for????

He should lead by example or be quiet.

 

[MMRC Grower]

Thought that was for government information.

It is for Government information.

Back in the day, there's was talked of all kinds of crazy government conspiracies and the people thought that the government was withholding information from them, so they passed that act. But that only applies to government agencies and there are exceptions.

So Im not sure what this has to do with non-profit organizations.

 

[MMRC Grower]

I am asking all dispensaries to post a copy of their tax returns as well as a copy of the owners tax returns so we can see they are "non profit."
no one "donates" marijuana. Members SELL marijuana to a dispensary in exchange for cash. Then the dispensary SELLS the marijuana to customers in exchange for cash. Lets call it what it is and it is a sale. Prove m e wrong by allowing me to enter your dispensary with no money and leave with 7 grams of your most expensive marijuana.
Ganja posted the salary of Red Cross CEO. Now, to be fair, post the salaries of dispensary owners.

I have one more thing to add to this.

You should also drop the whole Tax Return thing. Im not sure where people got that from, but when running a non-profit organization, you dont make profit. So you will see no profit what so ever on the tax return.

Now what you probably want to see, is how much money the person in charge is making for there time spent there. You wont see that on a tax return, unless the return is super detailed. So you'll most likely have a little section on there that will probably be listed as employee wages, but nothing more. So you'll get to see one number of what all of the employees make that work there. If your that interested in what it cost to pay everyone's wages that work there.... then keep on with your tax return hunt. If not... your better off just walking up to a Dispensary owner and asking him or her if you can see there paycheck stubs. I mean.... if it means that much to you, then go for it.