Prohibition created the enormous black market, maybe there will be some in CO, like you said, there is a black market for tobacco and alcohol, but on a percentage basis I suspect it will be extremely low and about the same as tobacco and moonshine is now.I'm not so sure about the value of hemp being so magnificent versus other products. It is not a big secret - think of the Yucatan in Mexico. The non cannabis hemp strains have been used for years with commercial success, such as a linen type fiber and even hempcrete, but it is only a little stronger than wood. Consider it more along the lines of just another crop. Obviously, I like the tax angle. More money for government to help people. If it works, legalize and tax prostitution.
And yes, any CO citizen can grow up to 6 plants at a time, with no tax paid. You have to remember the citizens passed it for a few reasons, yes to ingest, but mainly to stop the imprisonment of it's citizens for a victimless crime, not just to make money and collect taxes from it. And of course, medicine even though it was legal, it was regulated much more than now.
As far as billions to be made, you have to consider the versatility of the plant and it's sister (hemp) which is now legal too, which can be turned into paper and textile products, clothing, rope, food (highest protein of any seed), fuel (yes you can power vehicles from it), building materials (hempcrete and insulation and more), automobile panels and composites, organic weed control products, and the list goes on and on and on. And who knows what the next ingenious idea will be spawned, from it's use, now that scientists and engineers can study it with out fear of going to jail. Wasn't just talking about the recreational strain. But you can imagine all the suppliers needed to grow, cultivate and harvest, manufacture, and sell. It gets pretty staggering, very fast. Originally Posted by nwarounder