Illinois and weed
- Thread starter CarolKing
- Start date
Polarbearboy
Tokin' Away Since 1968
Ill pot shops run out of weed just six days of legalization.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...-recreational-marijuana-first-week-legalized/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...-recreational-marijuana-first-week-legalized/
FlyingLow
Team NO SLEEP!
Back from Chicago! Will be posting my thoughts about the process, dispensary and about the products... But not going to attempt to communicate everything from my phone. I'll post from a real CPU later.
Fyi- my total wait time was less than 30 minutes from door to me being in front of budtender. Verilife in Aurora was plowing through lines.
Fyi- my total wait time was less than 30 minutes from door to me being in front of budtender. Verilife in Aurora was plowing through lines.
FlyingLow
Team NO SLEEP!
This thread has gone cold... have none of you made it out to your local dispensary?
I'll share some thoughts...
WOW was this a totally different experience than anything I've been through in other legal states! Welcome to Legal Illinois!
I was on a limited schedule during a work trip and happened to be only 4 mins from Verilife. I drove by on Jan 8th and was told it was a 30-40 min experience, so I went for it!
Getting through tremendous lines at such speed did not come without setbacks. I was provided a menu while in line and was told I had to order everything before going to the counter. I took this with a grain of salt and did change up a few items when I got to the bud tender and started to discuss their products in greater detail.
BUT menus are severely limited AND LIMITS were a PIA (and even tighter for out of state customers). First, they would only allow a single eighth of flower and a single edible per customer. That was a bit aggravating but did not dissuade me. I came with bills and was ready for more shopping.
I will add the flower selection was only 4 strains. Harle Tsu was high CBD low THC, Sharksbreath (I) 21%, Wedding Crashers (H) 24%, Mr. Clean (H) 25%. Prices either $55 or $65. I went with Wedding Crashers and I hate to admit it was damn good, properly cured and weighted out. I only tasted half a gram, as I plan on pressing the remaining 3.
There were 6 options for edibles/drinks. I landed with a Kushie Caramels 2pack 100mg for $22. These were labeled to be made with a CO2 Indica distillate. They tasted fucking incredible, amazing, but I was entirely unaffected... your mileage may vary, I tend to prefer strong edibles.
They offered 3 pre-roll "cone" options. I would not call them cones... but trying not to talk shit. I haven't smoked in YEARS anyway!
Vape cartridges are CRAP, but I picked up one for me and one for a friend. I got a Lime Sherbert Liquid Live Resin... meh.
They only offered 4 items for concentrates, one shatter, one THCa and two live offerings. I picked up .5 of the THCa at 98.27%. Same White colorless visual one might expect, but it is in a near shatter form. it won't break off, it breaks everywhere! I've only come across THCa in a more powder/sugary consistency. I like having this stuff around and tend to sprinkle on top of less impressive concentrates I come across.
Without any of the bud tenders being able to tell me what type of concentrates these were (one told me diamonds), I also blindly bought the Dosido F2 and G6 BHO Sugar. There were all fully packaged without windows. Honestly, neither one of these was "sugar," they are real saucy and soaked. I preferred the Dosido of the two, but was not really blown away. I expect the extract artists will soon develop in Illinois, but they were not putting their best foot forward on this visit. Decent concentrates, but not on the same level with regards to flavor or potency when comparing to Co. or Cali.
It was novel, but I dropped over $500 on this visit.
Would I do it again... probably be more selective on future visits.
I will go back for concentrates and the occasional cart, but I cant see many people buying flower this way. After taxes, it about 90 for an eighth... this is not sustainable and will absolutely keep your neighborhood dealer in good business.
A final comment on the tenders, they were nice and really made efforts to try to answer most questions. BUT they were inexperienced. I loved their enthusiasm but these kiddos just did not have the wisdom yet. I give em a break as I think they will improve in the coming months, as they have a chance to try everything.
I'll share some thoughts...
WOW was this a totally different experience than anything I've been through in other legal states! Welcome to Legal Illinois!
I was on a limited schedule during a work trip and happened to be only 4 mins from Verilife. I drove by on Jan 8th and was told it was a 30-40 min experience, so I went for it!
Getting through tremendous lines at such speed did not come without setbacks. I was provided a menu while in line and was told I had to order everything before going to the counter. I took this with a grain of salt and did change up a few items when I got to the bud tender and started to discuss their products in greater detail.
BUT menus are severely limited AND LIMITS were a PIA (and even tighter for out of state customers). First, they would only allow a single eighth of flower and a single edible per customer. That was a bit aggravating but did not dissuade me. I came with bills and was ready for more shopping.
I will add the flower selection was only 4 strains. Harle Tsu was high CBD low THC, Sharksbreath (I) 21%, Wedding Crashers (H) 24%, Mr. Clean (H) 25%. Prices either $55 or $65. I went with Wedding Crashers and I hate to admit it was damn good, properly cured and weighted out. I only tasted half a gram, as I plan on pressing the remaining 3.
There were 6 options for edibles/drinks. I landed with a Kushie Caramels 2pack 100mg for $22. These were labeled to be made with a CO2 Indica distillate. They tasted fucking incredible, amazing, but I was entirely unaffected... your mileage may vary, I tend to prefer strong edibles.
They offered 3 pre-roll "cone" options. I would not call them cones... but trying not to talk shit. I haven't smoked in YEARS anyway!
Vape cartridges are CRAP, but I picked up one for me and one for a friend. I got a Lime Sherbert Liquid Live Resin... meh.
They only offered 4 items for concentrates, one shatter, one THCa and two live offerings. I picked up .5 of the THCa at 98.27%. Same White colorless visual one might expect, but it is in a near shatter form. it won't break off, it breaks everywhere! I've only come across THCa in a more powder/sugary consistency. I like having this stuff around and tend to sprinkle on top of less impressive concentrates I come across.
Without any of the bud tenders being able to tell me what type of concentrates these were (one told me diamonds), I also blindly bought the Dosido F2 and G6 BHO Sugar. There were all fully packaged without windows. Honestly, neither one of these was "sugar," they are real saucy and soaked. I preferred the Dosido of the two, but was not really blown away. I expect the extract artists will soon develop in Illinois, but they were not putting their best foot forward on this visit. Decent concentrates, but not on the same level with regards to flavor or potency when comparing to Co. or Cali.
It was novel, but I dropped over $500 on this visit.
Would I do it again... probably be more selective on future visits.
I will go back for concentrates and the occasional cart, but I cant see many people buying flower this way. After taxes, it about 90 for an eighth... this is not sustainable and will absolutely keep your neighborhood dealer in good business.
A final comment on the tenders, they were nice and really made efforts to try to answer most questions. BUT they were inexperienced. I loved their enthusiasm but these kiddos just did not have the wisdom yet. I give em a break as I think they will improve in the coming months, as they have a chance to try everything.
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Gunky
Well-Known Member
Wow those prices are awful high! Kind of absurd, even. Like an invitation to find some seeds, buy a grow tent, fan, charcoal filter, LED light fixture, take a risk ....
Over the years my consumption has become more and more medical - for joint inflammation - and I use rather copious quantities. I don't know what kind of medical setup they have there but those recreational prices would bankrupt me pretty quickly.
Over the years my consumption has become more and more medical - for joint inflammation - and I use rather copious quantities. I don't know what kind of medical setup they have there but those recreational prices would bankrupt me pretty quickly.
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cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Still haven't made it to a dispensary, but I will try to do so over the weekend. I suspect I will continue to use my guy for the next several month at least until the next major harvest. I'm hoping with more availability the prices will drop.
Nice not to worry about having flower in my pocket...
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Got to the dispensary today. Surprisingly it still had a line, but not bad, three in the vestibule and 4 or five outside. I was inside in 10 minutes or so.
Very few items on their menu and no display. Kinda felt like I was at a bank.
Got a gram of what was just called #1024 Wax on the menu. Turned out to be Crumble. Was $51.76 before taxes. The price was so unrounded so that it was an even $70 out the door. No change to deal with. I'm sure that's a lot for Crumble but as long as there are lines and they need to limit sales so they don't run out they have no incentive to have fair prices. That should change when they have more product to sell and another round of stores open.
The crumble is a little awkward to use in my Dynacoil, but it will layer easily in any vape I'm sure. And it worked quite well so I have no complaint there.
Very few items on their menu and no display. Kinda felt like I was at a bank.
Got a gram of what was just called #1024 Wax on the menu. Turned out to be Crumble. Was $51.76 before taxes. The price was so unrounded so that it was an even $70 out the door. No change to deal with. I'm sure that's a lot for Crumble but as long as there are lines and they need to limit sales so they don't run out they have no incentive to have fair prices. That should change when they have more product to sell and another round of stores open.
The crumble is a little awkward to use in my Dynacoil, but it will layer easily in any vape I'm sure. And it worked quite well so I have no complaint there.
Magic9
Plant Enthusiast
I'm in a dispensary dead zone. Our city has approved a rec. shop, but with the permits not coming until May, it's not expected to go up until closer to the end of the year. We drove the hour + drive down to Sunnyside in Champaign. We got turned away as the line was too long already. Hours before closing. They are currently only doing medical sales until further notice.
There is a shop in Joliet called Rise. The flower menu currently only has two options. One being a high CBD strain. So not worth the trip yet. There is another one there called 3C. They have 15 options for flower, but they only do medical sales.
Another option is the Verilife in Romeoville. They have four flower options. The one in Ottawa has three. They changed their hours recently though. Closed Mondays and Fridays. 4-9 PM during the week. Longer on weekends. I'd have to plan accordingly.
Agreed. With our new legal status, we can grow up to five plants. The fine is $200 if caught. No jail time. No police kicking the door for a few plants. Anyone with the room to, should definitely be looking at this option. Hempy buckets are like magic.
All in all, I'm a bit underwhelmed. I have more options at a better price through my black/gray market sources. Here is a look at some numbers if anyone is interested.
A breakdown of daily sales at the state's 37 dispensaries from Jan. 1 to 12:
Jan. 1: $3,176,256
Jan. 2: $2,252,586
Jan. 3: $2,209,065
Jan. 4: $2,004,019
Jan. 5: $1,189,252
Jan. 6: $796,005
Jan. 7: $1,251,626
Jan. 8: $1,314,924
Jan. 9: $1,334,605
Jan. 10: $1,689,682
Jan. 11: $1,617,198
Jan. 12: $874,121
Total: $19,709,345
Gunky
Well-Known Member
If you are allowed 5 then you are good. OK you may not run much of a breeding program with 5 plants but you can easily supply your own needs for a fraction of the $700 / oz they are charging, plus the quality will be better and you can avoid chemical pesticides and weird additives. For the price of two or three ounces you can buy top of the line equipment to set up a nice grow tent. Three or four months later you've got more stuff than you can shake a stick at. Did I mention it's fun?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0932551467/
Ed's book (above) is still really good but there have been some innovations since it was published. LED lighting has become really good and much cheaper to run than HPS and so on. Like one third the wattage. The old inline fans with rheostat speed controls used to take 150 or 200 watts. Newer fans (such as terrabloom) use quieter tech and do it with 50 watts or less.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0932551467/
Ed's book (above) is still really good but there have been some innovations since it was published. LED lighting has become really good and much cheaper to run than HPS and so on. Like one third the wattage. The old inline fans with rheostat speed controls used to take 150 or 200 watts. Newer fans (such as terrabloom) use quieter tech and do it with 50 watts or less.
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FlyingLow
Team NO SLEEP!
FWIW to those trying to battle long lines and medical only sales, I sent emails and FB messages to a handful of places to determine which had the shortest lines, best time to go during the weekday, and product questions. They were all responsive, but I landed at the one closest to me... I still cant believe it was only 4 minutes from where I was working!
+1 on the book, everyone in Illinois ought to be growing.
+1 on the book, everyone in Illinois ought to be growing.
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
I guess we fucked up...
-----
Marijuana shortages may continue for year or more
Illinois’ tight market is expected to linger longer than other states
Long lines continue on the second day of recreational cannabis sales on Jan. 2 along Clark Street outside Sunnyside in Lakeview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune )
By Robert McCoppin
Legal marijuana shortages in Illinois are expected to last six months to a year or more, industry members warn, due to a lack of production capacity in the state.
The long lines, product shortages and store closures seen since the state authorized legal sales starting on New Year’s Day are not unusual for newly legal markets. But the tight market is expected to continue longer than in other states in part because Illinois has only 21 cultivation warehouses, far fewer than in many other states with legal cannabis.
The limit on the number of growers is a result of existing medical marijuana growers maintaining that they could supply the market without any new cultivation licenses — despite studies that predicted they could not meet the demand.
Shortages also stem from other factors, including the state’s previously small but rapidly growing medical market, the limited number of stores and having just six months to prepare.
One of the chief sponsors of the law, state Sen. Heather Steans, said initial shortages were to be expected following similar experiences in other states.
“Hopefully, within six months or a year or two, the supply gets ramped up so you’re not having the same challenges,” Steans said. “There’s an initial burst of excitement from the public, so some of it is the nature of the beast.”
In other states, while severe scarcities dissipated within days or weeks of the initial rush, in some cases it still took months to ramp up production to meet demand.
As in Illinois, at least one shop in Colorado ran out of weed within days of legalization in January 2014. A study showed the legal industry was supplying only about two-thirds of the total demand that first year, with the rest coming from the illicit market. But the outages were largely ironed out by springtime, and the state has since reached more of a balance between supply and demand, said Jim Burack, director of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.
The key difference with Illinois is that Colorado started its program with about 200 growers, almost 10 times as many as in Illinois. The Rocky Mountain State also opened with about 145 licensed retail shops, compared with only 37 operating retail stores in Illinois. Colorado now has hundreds of growers and shops.
Elsewhere, other factors have slowed the rollout of legalization. When California required growers to meet new testing requirements for potency and pesticides in 2018 and 2019, news media reported, increases in testing wait times and test failures caused a product shortage. Once the labs expanded capacity and cultivators were able to conform with the more stringent requirements, the supply caught up.
Washington opened its retail pot program in 2014 with only about 20 stores, initially causing long lines, widespread shortages and high prices. But it had about 80 growers, and its market stabilized after more licenses were issued quickly, said Brian Smith, spokesman for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
People initially thought the program had failed, but now the state has 1,100 growers and 500 or so stores, supplies have surged and prices have dropped steadily, Smith said.
He urged patience with the market. “There were a lot of people overreacting to how we got started,” Smith said.
In Canada, which started legal pot sales of flower in October 2018, some stores began running out of product within hours. Shortages were still rampant weeks later, and provinces limited hours of operation or cut off issuing new licenses.
Late last year, Canada allowed cannabis edibles, vaping products and extracts for the first time. Yet news reports, blaming slow and strict regulatory enforcement, say it could be two years or more before Canada gets an adequate supply.
Given the history elsewhere, analysts saw supply problems coming to the Midwest. A study of the Illinois market commissioned by lawmakers last year predicted that existing growers could meet only about half of peak demand for legal weed. Even growers and lawmakers warned there would be a lack of supply. But the Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois, representing the industry, convinced lawmakers there was no need for new full-size licenses.
Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, predicted that legal growers could meet demand before new licenses are issued in May. “There’s always bumps with new things, but I think it’s going extraordinarily well,” she said.
Many factors worked against meeting the demand immediately, she said. Cultivators wanted to begin legalization in April to have time to ramp up production, but lawmakers wanted to start Jan. 1, she said. Also last year, the number of medical cannabis patients roughly doubled, increasing demand and causing shortages even before legalization.
It took months for growers to get permission to expand and start growing, with some not licensed until Dec. 23. It takes about four months to grow and process cannabis, so Althoff hopes new crops will be harvested by spring.
Other industry members are not so optimistic. Growers note the entire process of getting permits, building or expanding a warehouse, and producing a crop can take a year or more. One medical cultivator only started growing last year, four years after medical pot licenses were issued.
Lawmakers authorized up to 40 new small “craft” growers, initially limited to 5,000 square feet, compared with 210,000 square feet for existing growers. But those craft grower licenses aren’t required to be approved until July 1, while 75 new stores will be approved by May 1.
Business applicants will get bonus points toward a license if they are “social equity” applicants, meaning people who have been disproportionately hurt by the war on drugs, including those from poor areas or those who’ve been arrested for low-level pot offenses.
Social equity applicants also will pay half the licensing fees and will be eligible for startup loans. Those loans will be financed by the licensing fees paid by existing businesses — that’s partly why the law allowed the medical shops to open first, Steans said. In addition, state regulators had already done background checks on the existing growers and shops, whereas new licensees will have to undergo extensive vetting.
On the other side of the equation, demand for legal cannabis in the first week of sales in Illinois was among the highest of any state, with $20 million sold in the first 12 days. Even before recreational sales started, medical cannabis patients were stocking up, in some cases clearing out products at dispensaries.
State marijuana czar Toi Hutchinson noted the strong sales and pointed out that Illinois had far more stores than its nearest competitor, Michigan, which opened its market late last year with only four shops.
In response to concerns by some medical patients that they can’t find the products they want, Hutchinson emphasized that stores are required to reserve a one-month inventory of cannabis for patients, or face fines or other discipline.
But state regulation isn’t the only issue. Compounding the problem in Illinois, some medical dispensaries have gotten state licenses to sell recreational cannabis but were prevented from selling it by local governments.
Adding another degree of difficulty, it’s not an ideal time to raise money for expansions.
The value of publicly traded cannabis companies in Canada, where marijuana is legal, has fallen to a fraction of what it was in 2018. Investors now want to see profits rather than just growth projections, industry members said, and are stingier with their money.
Because it can take a year to get a grow house up to full capacity, cannabis industry research firm New Frontier Data is not projecting a full supply in Illinois for one to two years, senior economist Beau Whitney said.
“You fix it by issuing additional licenses,“ he said. Until then, he added, “look for continued constraints on supply, higher-than-market prices and a robust illicit market.”
To preserve inventory and stay open, many retailers have imposed limits on how much customers can buy. Last week, Mission Dispensary in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood held people to $200 maximum purchases, 4.5 grams of flower, 100 milligrams of edibles and two vaping cartridges, said Kris Krane, president of 4Front Ventures, which runs the store.
For the shortest wait times, he advised shopping on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon — after lunch but before work lets out.
“You definitely get a little grumbling, ‘I waited in line for an hour and all I could buy was this much,’ ” Krane said. “But most people are just happy they can come into a store and buy legally. They’re willing to abide by these growing pains. People might be more upset three or four months from now (if shortages continue). But we can’t grow the plants any faster.”
-----
Marijuana shortages may continue for year or more
Illinois’ tight market is expected to linger longer than other states
Long lines continue on the second day of recreational cannabis sales on Jan. 2 along Clark Street outside Sunnyside in Lakeview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune )
By Robert McCoppin
Legal marijuana shortages in Illinois are expected to last six months to a year or more, industry members warn, due to a lack of production capacity in the state.
The long lines, product shortages and store closures seen since the state authorized legal sales starting on New Year’s Day are not unusual for newly legal markets. But the tight market is expected to continue longer than in other states in part because Illinois has only 21 cultivation warehouses, far fewer than in many other states with legal cannabis.
The limit on the number of growers is a result of existing medical marijuana growers maintaining that they could supply the market without any new cultivation licenses — despite studies that predicted they could not meet the demand.
Shortages also stem from other factors, including the state’s previously small but rapidly growing medical market, the limited number of stores and having just six months to prepare.
One of the chief sponsors of the law, state Sen. Heather Steans, said initial shortages were to be expected following similar experiences in other states.
“Hopefully, within six months or a year or two, the supply gets ramped up so you’re not having the same challenges,” Steans said. “There’s an initial burst of excitement from the public, so some of it is the nature of the beast.”
In other states, while severe scarcities dissipated within days or weeks of the initial rush, in some cases it still took months to ramp up production to meet demand.
As in Illinois, at least one shop in Colorado ran out of weed within days of legalization in January 2014. A study showed the legal industry was supplying only about two-thirds of the total demand that first year, with the rest coming from the illicit market. But the outages were largely ironed out by springtime, and the state has since reached more of a balance between supply and demand, said Jim Burack, director of Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.
The key difference with Illinois is that Colorado started its program with about 200 growers, almost 10 times as many as in Illinois. The Rocky Mountain State also opened with about 145 licensed retail shops, compared with only 37 operating retail stores in Illinois. Colorado now has hundreds of growers and shops.
Elsewhere, other factors have slowed the rollout of legalization. When California required growers to meet new testing requirements for potency and pesticides in 2018 and 2019, news media reported, increases in testing wait times and test failures caused a product shortage. Once the labs expanded capacity and cultivators were able to conform with the more stringent requirements, the supply caught up.
Washington opened its retail pot program in 2014 with only about 20 stores, initially causing long lines, widespread shortages and high prices. But it had about 80 growers, and its market stabilized after more licenses were issued quickly, said Brian Smith, spokesman for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
People initially thought the program had failed, but now the state has 1,100 growers and 500 or so stores, supplies have surged and prices have dropped steadily, Smith said.
He urged patience with the market. “There were a lot of people overreacting to how we got started,” Smith said.
In Canada, which started legal pot sales of flower in October 2018, some stores began running out of product within hours. Shortages were still rampant weeks later, and provinces limited hours of operation or cut off issuing new licenses.
Late last year, Canada allowed cannabis edibles, vaping products and extracts for the first time. Yet news reports, blaming slow and strict regulatory enforcement, say it could be two years or more before Canada gets an adequate supply.
Given the history elsewhere, analysts saw supply problems coming to the Midwest. A study of the Illinois market commissioned by lawmakers last year predicted that existing growers could meet only about half of peak demand for legal weed. Even growers and lawmakers warned there would be a lack of supply. But the Medical Cannabis Alliance of Illinois, representing the industry, convinced lawmakers there was no need for new full-size licenses.
Pam Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, predicted that legal growers could meet demand before new licenses are issued in May. “There’s always bumps with new things, but I think it’s going extraordinarily well,” she said.
Many factors worked against meeting the demand immediately, she said. Cultivators wanted to begin legalization in April to have time to ramp up production, but lawmakers wanted to start Jan. 1, she said. Also last year, the number of medical cannabis patients roughly doubled, increasing demand and causing shortages even before legalization.
It took months for growers to get permission to expand and start growing, with some not licensed until Dec. 23. It takes about four months to grow and process cannabis, so Althoff hopes new crops will be harvested by spring.
Other industry members are not so optimistic. Growers note the entire process of getting permits, building or expanding a warehouse, and producing a crop can take a year or more. One medical cultivator only started growing last year, four years after medical pot licenses were issued.
Lawmakers authorized up to 40 new small “craft” growers, initially limited to 5,000 square feet, compared with 210,000 square feet for existing growers. But those craft grower licenses aren’t required to be approved until July 1, while 75 new stores will be approved by May 1.
Business applicants will get bonus points toward a license if they are “social equity” applicants, meaning people who have been disproportionately hurt by the war on drugs, including those from poor areas or those who’ve been arrested for low-level pot offenses.
Social equity applicants also will pay half the licensing fees and will be eligible for startup loans. Those loans will be financed by the licensing fees paid by existing businesses — that’s partly why the law allowed the medical shops to open first, Steans said. In addition, state regulators had already done background checks on the existing growers and shops, whereas new licensees will have to undergo extensive vetting.
On the other side of the equation, demand for legal cannabis in the first week of sales in Illinois was among the highest of any state, with $20 million sold in the first 12 days. Even before recreational sales started, medical cannabis patients were stocking up, in some cases clearing out products at dispensaries.
State marijuana czar Toi Hutchinson noted the strong sales and pointed out that Illinois had far more stores than its nearest competitor, Michigan, which opened its market late last year with only four shops.
In response to concerns by some medical patients that they can’t find the products they want, Hutchinson emphasized that stores are required to reserve a one-month inventory of cannabis for patients, or face fines or other discipline.
But state regulation isn’t the only issue. Compounding the problem in Illinois, some medical dispensaries have gotten state licenses to sell recreational cannabis but were prevented from selling it by local governments.
Adding another degree of difficulty, it’s not an ideal time to raise money for expansions.
The value of publicly traded cannabis companies in Canada, where marijuana is legal, has fallen to a fraction of what it was in 2018. Investors now want to see profits rather than just growth projections, industry members said, and are stingier with their money.
Because it can take a year to get a grow house up to full capacity, cannabis industry research firm New Frontier Data is not projecting a full supply in Illinois for one to two years, senior economist Beau Whitney said.
“You fix it by issuing additional licenses,“ he said. Until then, he added, “look for continued constraints on supply, higher-than-market prices and a robust illicit market.”
To preserve inventory and stay open, many retailers have imposed limits on how much customers can buy. Last week, Mission Dispensary in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood held people to $200 maximum purchases, 4.5 grams of flower, 100 milligrams of edibles and two vaping cartridges, said Kris Krane, president of 4Front Ventures, which runs the store.
For the shortest wait times, he advised shopping on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon — after lunch but before work lets out.
“You definitely get a little grumbling, ‘I waited in line for an hour and all I could buy was this much,’ ” Krane said. “But most people are just happy they can come into a store and buy legally. They’re willing to abide by these growing pains. People might be more upset three or four months from now (if shortages continue). But we can’t grow the plants any faster.”
FlyingLow
Team NO SLEEP!
We did not fuck up, lawmakers did!
They were convinced by the medical growers... And now the medical growers cornered and stiffeled the fucking market. No way they were ever going to meet demand, but they sure asfuck could ensure that they got their piece.
Nice article with good advice. I went right in the suggested time window and was welcomed with only a 30 minute wait.
One thing not mentioned, is call ahead. These places were highly responsive to me when I asked about product availability, wait times, best times, and limits. Find out all you can before you get in line... No surprises.
Is add, there is not much use in looking up menus right now. Places run out before WM and Leafy get updated.
They were convinced by the medical growers... And now the medical growers cornered and stiffeled the fucking market. No way they were ever going to meet demand, but they sure asfuck could ensure that they got their piece.
Nice article with good advice. I went right in the suggested time window and was welcomed with only a 30 minute wait.
One thing not mentioned, is call ahead. These places were highly responsive to me when I asked about product availability, wait times, best times, and limits. Find out all you can before you get in line... No surprises.
Is add, there is not much use in looking up menus right now. Places run out before WM and Leafy get updated.
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Well, the black market is very happy with the way it has gone. There is literally no short term threat to them.
Prices will need to come way down if they really want to get the BM out of it. And that is unlikely until there are a LOT more legal growers. and many more stores. The medical providers had a big win on this one, at the expense of everyone else. They have also seen a BIG increase of medical user applications for obvious reasons.
Prices will need to come way down if they really want to get the BM out of it. And that is unlikely until there are a LOT more legal growers. and many more stores. The medical providers had a big win on this one, at the expense of everyone else. They have also seen a BIG increase of medical user applications for obvious reasons.
Tranquility
Well-Known Member
There is NO plan to get prices down. As in CA, there is an inherent difference in the effect of pricing and stated goals. Generally, more pricing is more money in the pockets of government. Generally, higher prices prevent some youth usage. However, high legal pricing means a larger black market--one that has no qualms against selling to youth.
When the choice gets to protecting youth or making money, I suspect the state will choose money. This will keep the black market open. The state will try to stop it by the same path they've chosen again and again and again and again, criminal laws.
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
I didn't notice this when I went to a dispensary, but neither did I notice any out of staters in my line. I HAVE noticed when reading the law that it is illegal for the dispensary to keep or share ANY of the data they get from scanning your license. The law only allows the data to be viewed for eligibility, then deleted. I have a friend on court supervision and he was concerned about them sharing individual customer data with the state and I think he has no reason to be concerned. At least no legal reason...
I don't think there needs to be one. Supply and demand will take care of it. If stores can't compete with the black market, it will always reign. And the state gets no tax revenue from it. It serves the state as well to have prices come down. A little less tax revenue from lower prices is way better than no tax revenue.
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unsorted
Well-Known Member
I have never been to any dispensary anywhere. Do all purchasers get their licenses scanned whether in or out of state? If the data cannot be kept or shared, why scan at all? Is it deleted immediately, or days or weeks later? I don't care to be on a list that Illinois provides to its border (illegal) states.
Thanks for the response. My trust in government is low.
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Here is the section in the law.
(410 ILCS 705/10-20)
Sec. 10-20. Identification; false identification; penalty.
(a) To protect personal privacy, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall not require a purchaser to provide a dispensing organization with personal information other than government-issued identification to determine the purchaser's age, and a dispensing organization shall not obtain and record personal information about a purchaser without the purchaser's consent. A dispensing organization shall use an electronic reader or electronic scanning device to scan a purchaser's government-issued identification, if applicable, to determine the purchaser's age and the validity of the identification. Any identifying or personal information of a purchaser obtained or received in accordance with this Section shall not be retained, used, shared or disclosed for any purpose except as authorized by this Act.
There is no other authorization regarding this personal info anywhere else in the act that I can find. So it is in the law itself that sharing this info is not allowed.
(410 ILCS 705/10-20)
Sec. 10-20. Identification; false identification; penalty.
(a) To protect personal privacy, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation shall not require a purchaser to provide a dispensing organization with personal information other than government-issued identification to determine the purchaser's age, and a dispensing organization shall not obtain and record personal information about a purchaser without the purchaser's consent. A dispensing organization shall use an electronic reader or electronic scanning device to scan a purchaser's government-issued identification, if applicable, to determine the purchaser's age and the validity of the identification. Any identifying or personal information of a purchaser obtained or received in accordance with this Section shall not be retained, used, shared or disclosed for any purpose except as authorized by this Act.
There is no other authorization regarding this personal info anywhere else in the act that I can find. So it is in the law itself that sharing this info is not allowed.
MinnBobber
Well-Known Member
Out of staters beware, as neighboring state highway patrols are surely going to be keenly aware of
folks driving with their new IL stash.
Nebraska was(is?) notorious for a supreme effort to get those Colorado cannabis transporters. FYI, their favorite method was
pulling cars over for staying a millisecond too long in the freeway passing lane. That was their gateway to "mind if we search your vehicle"? One FCer reported on their bust, where stash was confiscated, charged with crime, and even their High Times Magazine was confiscated as drug paraphernalia WTF
I'm in MN so would need to drive thru Wisconsin. Wisc is REALLY TIGHT on speed limits, like have known to give
tix for 6 mph over .
I would strictly watch my speed AND would never ever consume in the car or carry stash inside car (keep
in trunk). Tempting to enjoy the new booty but save it til you are safely home.
So sorry that IL has guaranteed high prices for a long time to come or forever.....
folks driving with their new IL stash.
Nebraska was(is?) notorious for a supreme effort to get those Colorado cannabis transporters. FYI, their favorite method was
pulling cars over for staying a millisecond too long in the freeway passing lane. That was their gateway to "mind if we search your vehicle"? One FCer reported on their bust, where stash was confiscated, charged with crime, and even their High Times Magazine was confiscated as drug paraphernalia WTF
I'm in MN so would need to drive thru Wisconsin. Wisc is REALLY TIGHT on speed limits, like have known to give
tix for 6 mph over .
I would strictly watch my speed AND would never ever consume in the car or carry stash inside car (keep
in trunk). Tempting to enjoy the new booty but save it til you are safely home.
So sorry that IL has guaranteed high prices for a long time to come or forever.....
cybrguy
Putin is a War Criminal
Illinois really needs the money from cannabis. It is the only reason conservative elements allowed the law to pass. They will not do anything to embolden the BM and keep users from buying legally and paying the taxes they are depending on. Not in the long term anyway.
Tranquility
Well-Known Member
You don't have simple supply and demand in a regulated market. The key is not purely price, the key is risk. How much do the modern evildoers of tax avoiders want to avoid the stigma of drug dealers? Before they were bad because drugs are bad, now they're bad because they don't pay enough to the government for freedom.
As to the little less tax revenue from lower prices, tell it to the regulators. They don't seem to care. At least in CA (I know it is not IL.), this exact same discussion keeps coming up because the black market is winning the battle. The regulators don't want to leave a penny on the table so refuse to budge.
I hope IL has a more competent set of bureaucrats than CA. I suspect they aren't, but, we'll see.