...growers are — surprisingly — struggling to sell their marijuana. Some are already worried about going belly-up, finding it tougher than expected to make a living in legal weed.
"It's an economic nightmare," says Andrew Seitz, general manager at Dutch Brothers Farms in Seattle.
Officials at the state Liquor Control Board, which regulates marijuana, aren't terribly concerned.
Weed is still pricey at the state's pot shops — often in the
$23-to-$25-per-gram range. That's about
twice the cost at medical dispensaries, but
cheaper than it was a few months ago.
(state regulator says
In Washington, many growers have unrealistic expectations about how quickly they should be able to recoup their initial investments, Simmons said. And some of the growers complaining about the low prices they're getting now also gouged the new stores amid shortages last summer.
(grower says
"We're running out of money," he said. "We need to make sales this month to stay operational, and we're going to be selling at losses."
Because of the high taxes on Washington's legal pot, Seitz says stores can never compete with the black market while
paying growers sustainable prices.
Some retailers have been marking up the wholesale price three-fold or more — a practice that has some growers wondering if certain stores aren't cleaning up as they struggle.
