Artifacts, weapons, living creatures, and more all have one thing in common. They’re in-demand, hard to get legally, and available on the black market.
Now, we can add marijuana to that list. Black market marijuana isn’t a new thing, but over the past few years, it has become significantly more dangerous.
Because the cannabis industry has skyrocketed, everyone wants in on it. Not everyone is licensed, however, and those illegal cannabis growers are selling their product wherever they can get away with it.
The intent of legalizing marijuana was to ensure growers followed regulations. With this, consumers could safely use high-quality products. States could collect the tax revenue and use it to improve life for their citizens.
Yet, even with legalized weed in many places, black market marijuana continues to thrive. Buyers might not care about the possibility of getting caught, but there are other dangers they can’t get always get away from.
1. Deadly Contaminants Are Lurking
If someone is willing to sell cannabis on the black market, chances are they’re not too concerned about what is in the product.
They want their plants to be healthy enough to grow their stash. If that means feeding them cheap contaminants, it helps increase profit and product.
Legislation was enacted to regulate products before they went on the market. Consumers could feel safe knowing that what they were buying was likely reputable.
No Rules? No Problem (for Black Market Sellers, That Is)
But without one consistent set of rules to follow, people aren’t always sure what’s legal and where they’re allowed to shop.
Black market sources have stepped up their game, taking advantage of the confusion. They set up sites online that look reputable, offering carrots like free international shipping and inexpensive products.
Unregulated cannabis sales frequently test positive for pesticides, heavy metals, microbes, and other contaminants.
Without stringent regulation, these additives aren’t obvious. At best, users could end up with a fungal infection from mold. At worst, all it takes is one wrong added ingredient for a fatal reaction.
2. Scams Are Everywhere
Buying from a regulated and approved source gives you protection from scams. If you pay for goods you don’t receive, there’s a legal system in place to help you get your money back.
Shopping on the black market leaves you open to the probability that you’ll get scammed.
These sellers know that they have the upper hand. They phish your emails and convince you to send money to a business that doesn’t exist.
Your Safety Nets Don’t Exist When You Buy Illegally
But you knowingly went outside of the legal lines to buy from someplace you weren’t supposed to. So, when you don’t get your product, you don’t have any recourse.
Some black market companies will send you a watered-down version of what you ordered, knowing you can’t complain to anyone official.
And if you try to get authorities involved, it’s complicated. By the time you’ve filled out the paperwork and gotten the process going, the black market operation has already shut down.
They’ve re-opened as another company somewhere else equally untraceable.
3. It’s Illegal
Here’s the common-sense part that buyers often ignore. Marijuana is illegal, no matter where you are, if you don’t buy it from an approved dispensary or grow it yourself.
Even a medical marijuana card doesn’t get you off the hook. For instance, MMJ holders in Washington, DC must buy their product from an authorized retailer within the borders of their card’s guidelines.
The same type of framework applies wherever you got your MMJ license. If you don’t already have one, instead of buying on the black market, follow the instructions provided here by MetroXMD to get approved.
The penalties for buying weed outside of a legal dispensary are harsh. Violators will, at a minimum, pay a fine. Frequent offenders will end up with jail time.
Add “black market purchase” to your list of violations, and the penalties get steeper. Taking this risk to buy products that could be contaminated and kill you doesn’t seem to be worth it.
Conclusion
The simplest solution to your cannabis dilemma is to get it legally with a medical marijuana card. If that doesn’t work, hemp-derived cannabis is legal, or you can visit a state with legalized recreational marijuana.
What you should never do, however, is buy your weed on the black market. It’s a dangerous mistake with deadly potential.
