Bryan Amelio is 45, so he remembers when buying marijuana meant handing cash to a potentially shady character in exchange for a baggie that could have contained an eighth of an ounce of anything.
While shopping recently at The Artist Tree, a cannabis dispensary in Oxnard, Amelio said he's never considered going back to the black market. Legal, licensed, tax-paying stores like The Artist Tree are typically more expensive than neighborhood drug dealers or unlicensed delivery services, but Amelio said he's happy to pay more for convenience and peace of mind.
"To save a few bucks? It's not worth it," he said. "This just makes it easier. Less stress."
Unfortunately for retailers like The Artist Tree, not everyone sees it that way. In 2024 — eight years after California legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and seven years after the first legal, non-medical dispensaries opened — the black market still accounted for 62% of California cannabis sales, according to an industry report commissioned by the California Department of Cannabis Control.
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