PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In the wake of a $5 million marijuana bust in Yamhill County, many are wondering if illegal growers are flourishing in the state now that legal, licensed operations exist.
With the start of legal marijuana sales in Oregon last October came the promise of a black market wipeout.
Generally speaking, that seems to be happening. But experts say legal weed has also created a dynamic that can, and does, feed black market sales.
Cannaman Farms owner Brian Stroh says because the price of weed in legal states is steadily dropping, black market sellers from other regions are still around.
Some local growers are still willing to risk their safety for the promise of big profits.
“It’s not a surprise,” Stroh told KOIN 6 News. “Oregon is a major supplier, and always has been, for the black market all over the U.S.”
He says a pound of legal marijuana that sells for $500-$1,000 in Oregon can fetch upwards of $4,000 in places like California.
“It’s enticing for some of these people,” Stroh said. “Somebody gets to the point where they’re regulated and taxed and making $500 a pound versus unregulated and untaxed and making $4,000 a pound.”
Police are also spending less time focusing on marijuana crimes in states where it’s legal, opening the door for easier, illicit activity.
But Gareth Kautz, who runs High End Market Place in Vancouver, says illegal operations are evident to industry insiders.
“When you see something that’s not built to state spec standards, you know that it’s illegal,” Kautz said. “It’s pretty easy to go, ‘That one doesn’t belong here, there’s no fences around it, there’s no cameras on it.”
This week Washington will integrate the production and marketing for medical and recreational marijuana. That means unlicensed dispensaries will shut down.
But where will the weed from those shops go?
KOIN 6 News will continue to follow this story.