A recent letter complained that lax regulation of the cannabis market is causing lower retail prices, making it hard for cannabis stores to maintain the margins to stay in business, (“Readers respond: Oregon’s cannabis free for all,” Feb. 18). The very long explanation had me waiting to hear the problem, which never arrived.
This is exactly how markets are supposed to work. Every consumer of cannabis is winning and the best run businesses – or, as was baselessly suggested, the most corrupt businesses – will survive. Maybe it is the case that some shady businesses will survive and some benevolent ones will have to close. Ultimately, if that means prices are the lowest possible for consumers and they choose to buy from these stores, I see nothing wrong here, and neither should Oregonians.
I am sorry for everyone who thought owning a cannabis store would be a fun ride to riches. Now you must join the rest of the business world in having to work to separate your store from the pack and fight to be the winner. If the state regulated the cannabis market more – for example, by limiting permits, so as to pad business profits – that would be the ultimate corruption and consumers would be the losers.
Now, if only the state and local governments could further deregulate the housing market in a similar way, so that landlords had to fight each other for tenants and prices dropped as a result.
Tim DuBois, Portland
To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.