The Legal Sale of Cannabis in Dispensaries Is Doing Away with the Black Market

Little by little, certain places throughout the world are choosing to legalise marijuana and offer many users the possibility to purchase from a dispensary in a completely regulated and safe manner. This is completely changing consumer habits and directly benefitting the cannabis sector, while also hindering those who try to sell using different methods.

As a consequence, at least in the United States, almost 70% of marijuana consumers in states that accept the plant, purchase it directly from dispensaries and specialised shops with a license and even grow it legally at their own homes, according to an investigation carried out by Marijuana Business Daily. On the contrary, only 17% of people purchase it on the black market (or combined with purchases on the legal market).

Furthermore, in states where regulation has not been driven through, 81% of consumers are required to buy the plant directly through illegal sources. Another 7% prefer to grow plants at home to ensure they do not have to depend on products of dubious quality.

These figures were obtained following a survey carried out in June among more than 1600 medical and recreational users throughout the country. The statistics offer clear evidence of the fact that regulating cannabis, from a recreational and medicinal point of view helps users to improve the quality of the product they buy and to purchase from optimum and suitable premises.

Experts believe that these figures will help consumers to strengthen their demands for legalisation in the future. Nevertheless, they also state that illegal trade and selling of the plant will not completely disappear, although they believe that its influence could be reduced to the point where it is almost imperceptible.