Ah yes, the LCB, the very same folks who just about bankrupted the state's liquor business.

They set up a tiered system and ignored common sense tactics like copying techniques that actually worked in other states, and now they're blaming small business owners because LCB rules aren't flexible enough to allow growth towards profitability? Aren't they supposed to be helping these businesses succeed? Sure doesn't sound like it.

None of this should be too surprising, the state thrives on secret deals and negotiations and coddling incompetent state employees who couldn't even run a lemonade stand. The LCB has too much power but lacks a successful track record to justify such power, while business owners have little to no power to effect the kinds of changes they need to be successful.

One answer is leveling the playing field, another is requiring the LCB to find ways to make our market the best in the country. But no, here we can't even grow our own, the LCB is still "studying" the issue, while it's working very well elsewhere.

Given how f*cked we are with regard to what's going on nationally I just can't care about this. Legal weed growing and profiting from it is a first world problem.

Xina: not to the black men incarcerated for a bullshit crime in an attempt to suppress liberal votes.

I imagine the pot industry will eventually become like almost every other industry of it's type (i.e., tobacco, liquor).

Once it's fully legalized, giant corporations will start selling it, maybe the big pharmaceutical companies. They'll drive small pot "boutique" stores out of business or simply buy them out. Then they'll send their armies of lobbyists to D.C. to get pot taxes lowered or eliminated... AFTER all the local, boutique stores are gone. Finally, they'll switch to selling only the most profitable (think: cheapest to produce) goods, and maybe outsource it to other countries to save on labor costs.

Enjoy the little mom-and-pop pot stores while they're here. Once the federal government legalizes it, it's all over for them. Sure, sure, one or two will still exist and will sell homegrown, interesting varieties, but by and large the industry will turn into Marlboro and Camel and Bud Light and Miller... mass produced and full of who-knows-what.

They set up a hamster wheel business model. People should have paid more attention to what went on when the state liquor store fiasco was happening.

Just wait for the tribal model to mop up. Their money will go straight to the Democrats to hinder whatever non-native process survive running on the hamster wheel. You voted D ...What did you expect.

Onerous regulation and inordinately high taxes are stifling growth at a small business?

Huh!

How can any industry survive with 47% excise tax at time of purchase? 37% marijuana tax + 10% sales tax. These businesses also pay federal income tax without the ability to deduct business expenses, so they pay federal tax rates on gross income, not net income. This is a real problem, with a simple solution.

Stop buying cheap weed and support small growers. It's that simple. The big growers and many of of the advertisers on the stranger with their "Cheap Weed" ads are the reason why small biz's are failing. Its an agricultural product. The big players, Phat Panda, NWCS, the top retailers are all in it to drive down prices and bankrupt small businesses. Fuck them. Stop supporting them.

Even if taxes were low, the small players would still not be making it. The problem is simply oversupply and the big, extremely well finance players driving price below the cost of production. Washington has the cheapest weed in the country, both legal and illegal. Including Taxes.
Susan is a nice women, but completely ignorant about how economics work. She was a VOCAL supporter of allowing the biggest companies to get 3x bigger. She thinks she doesn't compete with them and of course she does. She also sells all of her product to Botanica Seattle, who distributes it for her. So they are taking a cut, the retailers are marking it up 3x to cover their cost and to make BANK. Don't be fooled, retail owners struck the lottery with these rules they are getting rich off the backs of growers who put their lives into making these products. Retailers take no risk, but reap ALL the rewards.

None of the Producers or processors have paid the 37% excise tax since july of 2015. Only retailers the tax.