What is a Pot Smurf or Cannabis Looper?

What is a Pot Smurf or Cannabis Looper?

are you cannabis looper

Massachusetts looks at how people are getting around the statewide limits on cannabis sales -

Are you a pot smurf? How about a cannabis looper? In a recent article by the Boston Herald and followed up by Dan Adams of the Boston Globe this week, the state of Massachusetts is trying to see how many people are trying to buy cannabis at legal locations and resell it on the black market.

A cannabis smurf or looper is someone who abuses the state limits on legal cannabis purchases by going to multiple cannabis locations in the same day to buy over the legal limits allowed in the state. Loopers can also loop back in line and do repeat orders at the same dispensary.

One question brought up by Dan Adams and others is, why would anyone buy super expensive weed on the legal market, including taxes, and then try to resell it on the black market. If someone is looking to buy on the gray or black market, they can go to the gray and black market and buy cannabis products. Having someone pay sky high prices for legal marijuana and then attempt to sell it on the black market at some price point that makes money, just makes no sense, or cents. Think about the math for a second. If you are going to buy a cannabis chocolate bar for $40 at a dispensary. Now add in taxes and you are at $50. Is that person then going to try and sell the bar for $55 or $60? Some problems occur when you realize Massachusetts has recreational sales of cannabis to anyone over 21. Second, the same person could go to the black market and buy the bar at $20.

The set up is reminiscent of buying alcohol for minors, let’s say a package store when you are approached by younger people to buy alcohol for them. The only reason someone would start to pay upwards of $55 to $60 for a 100mg chocolate bar is that they are a minor and can’t buy it legally at a legal location, or they are super lazy and don’t want to drive and wait in line at a dispensary. The dispensary line problem was a real thing for the first few months in Massachusetts as the Cannabis Control Commission was slow to roll out recreational licenses. Massachusetts now has over 35 recreational dispensaries open, granted, not many are located by population centers, but they are still there and just requiring a drive. Sweet Leaf in Colorado had 15 licenses terminated after a looping ring was targeted by authorities.

We have covered a few stories as you can see below that go over the topic of buying cannabis for a minor. Most of the sting operations set up by media sources for a good story turn out to be duds, as cannabis dispensaries do an excellent job at ID and age check, and many cannabis customers who were asked to buy weed for a minor standing outside said, “No way!”.

Will cannabis smurfing and looping remain a problem after federal legalization, probably not. The only people who would pay 100% over the black market are people who don’t know how to find the black market, or they are minors and can’t legally get cannabis products. State tracking software programs will get better at tracking and updates to software programs will make excess buying a thing of the past.

The most vulnerable areas for looping or smurfing would be jurisdiction that have medical marijuana programs but NOT recreational license. This would create a much large audience of users over 21 would want to buy cannabis products but for a variety of reasons, may not want to get a medical marijuana card from a MMJ doctors. Reasons include a medical record, a possible public health record at some point, and depending on your job and drug testing, may create problems down the road if insurance companies tie into medical marijuana records in each state. Some states have a higher cost for MMJ cards as well as expensive, yearly renewals. (see Massachusetts). To renew not only requires a fee to the state each year, but also a new doctor checkup and renewed medical check for the need for the card. To make a long story short, you need to pay the doctor his or her fee each year, plus the state of Massachusetts in this case, their registration fee. All in, you are looking at over $200 to renew your medical marijuana card each year, hence, the need for medical insurance to step in cover some of the costs for lower income members.