Back to Danktown. Good ol Danktown. I have spoken fondly of the place when I was away, and it feels good to get smacked in the face with the humidity and attacked by mosquitoes and ticks and flies and whatnot. I moved back for many reasons, but a large one was that I wanted to buy a property. My time in San Diego and especially Denver led to diminishing returns on renting. It is nice just go to the ganja shop as a daily chore. It is much better than a two week search for weed, or other choices. It’s really nice to know that I don’t have Johnny Law as someone to fear and avoid. I particularly had great relationships with the San Diego police. Heck, I hosted a former Los Angeles Sherriff to a Regulate Marijuana Like Wine meeting in 2012. But that is more of a luxury and a perk of living where you get to live. So, it got me thinking about a few things. Is legal cannabis bougie?
For me to find this out, I looked at the most expensive states to live in in 2022[i]. Nine of the top ten are fully legal states (1-HI, 2- NY, 3-CA, 4-MA, 5-OR, 6-AK, 8-CT, 9-RI, 10-VT). The seventh most expensive state to live in is Maryland, which falls at #7 and has medical. Nine of the next ten have at least medical and 6 have recreational. The Med only states are: 14-NH, 15-DE, and PA-19. The 6 fully recreational states are: 11-NJ, 12-ME, 13- WA, 16-NV, 17-CO, 18-AZ, 19-PA. The one state that does not have either Recreational or medical cannabis is possibly the most fascist state, ID, at 20.[ii]
Oddly enough, many of the Recreational states- including the 3 medical-only states- have laws that include conditional release. On the other hand, good ol Idaho has laws for mandatory minimums and drugged driving laws.[iii]
Next, I looked at median home values by state. The median was Arizona at $225,500. The Ten most Expensive are: 1-HI $615,300, 2-CA $505,000, 3-MA $381,600, 4-CO, 5-WA, 6-NJ, 7-MD, 8-NY, 9-OR, 10 UT. Eight of the ten are Recreational states. The two that aren’t, Maryland and Utah, are both medical.[iv]
The ten cheapest are: 1- MS-$119,000, 2-WV $119,600 3-AR $127,800, 4- OK, 5- KY, 6- IN, 7- AL, 8- OH, 9- IA, and 10-KS. Six of the ten have medical laws. The remaining 4 have CBD laws, which is the very least that can be done since CBD is federally legal[v]. Most of them are in the south. Indeed, all of the medical states are in the south, while the Midwest and mid-east prefer the most restrictive allowances with CBD-only laws in Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, and Kentucky.[vi]
If we are to use this as supply and demand, then it is clear that places where Americans want to live are also the most expensive places to live. And conversely, the least desirable places are the cheapest. Although, the cracks are forming in the south. What really baffles me is the Midwest. Places like Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, specifically.
I am baffled because back in the 90’s I would have put the (now extinct) Nebraska landrace, Willies One Hit Wonder Buds, up against any strain in the world. It was simply the best. It is now extinct because nobody grows it here anymore. At least I don’t know them. I really hope someone still does grow it here. Nebraska grows really good weed.
Cannabis also grows wild here. It is literally a weed. You can’t hike 100 yards on a trail without finding it. You cant drive 100 yards down a gravel road and not find them taking up quarters in ditches and gullies, proudly blowing in the Nebraska wind. The plant that helped win World War 2 grew here. It is our most patriotic plant. Yet, in the land of the “patriot”, it is pulled up and thrown away. Disregarded like everyone else who does not fit into their slim world view. It is criminalized and forced to hide in the shadows. Yet, it still thrives; it grows everywhere here. Yet, we would rather eradicate it than capitalize on it. Truly Baffling.
[i] https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/most-expensive-states-to-live-in
[iv] https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/median-home-price-by-state
[v] https://www.natlawreview.com/article/2018-farm-bill-legalizes-hemp-obstacles-to-sale-cbd-products-remain
[vi] https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/median-home-price-by-state
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