The old English proverb “There’s Many a Slip ‘twixt the Cup and the Lip” alerts us to the fact we should not count our chickens before they hatch. Outcomes are never certain until they happen. Nowhere is this truer than when it comes to getting marijuana on the shelves of California, or so it seems.
Take Nevada, for example where casual cannabis came out the closet last month. The people queued out the door and down the streets according to LA Weekly. There was only one problem to mar their moment. Somebody in Carson City forgot to approve any distribution licenses.
Clearly, nobody was going to risk the Feds purloining their stuff. It took a whole two weeks before two emergency distribution licenses clicked in, and the product was back on the shelves. If we did the same with alcohol, we may as well reintroduce prohibition.
California is in an even bigger mess. Counties and cities can issue distribution licenses, but only within their jurisdictions. A load could leave San Bernardino County legally, but become contraband after it crossed over into Riverside. However, we are not even near that point yet. The MMJ Law specified independent distributors, while Proposition 64 allowed retailers to ship their own recreational product.
This has created some strange bedfellows in California cannabis circles. Truckers in the Teamsters Union are siding with the Cannabis Growers Association who want independent distributors. They share the hope of the old MMJ Law that nobody should dominate the entire supply chain. The irony is this: If the Teamsters get their way, they could hold small retailers at ransom until they agree the drivers’ rates.
This does not seem to worry some members. Executive director of the Association Hezekiah Allen told the Sacramento Bee, “These manufacturers and retailers have not been treating growers well for the last 15 years. These distributors may not treat us well either. But we’ll take the unknown evil over the known evil.” Meanwhile, other manufacturers and distributors would like to own the vehicles themselves.
California has yet to approve any marijuana licenses under the new Medical and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act. This provides a unified solution for regulating medical and recreational marijuana. Tough choices seemingly lie ahead in terms of distribution as the details roll out.
We’re holding thumbs that things turn out right for small farmers, distributors, and retailers. Meanwhile, it seems there could be a few more slips between the pot and the pipe, before we can settle down and enjoy the truce we all hope lies ahead.