[grannyg00se]

"Why jump to something else that's illegal?"

Because it's the prohibition that causes the absurd profit margins they are accustomed to. It's unlikely that they would accept an average profiting legal product rather than go after the next absurdly profitable illegal product. Also, their entire business is based around providing a prohibited product. They wouldn't likely be keen to completely change business models.

[tehayj]

The market will get much smaller for people who want to sell cannabis because lots of consumers will grow it themselves.

Many cannabis dealer will also try to start larger growing operations. Same thing happened in the Netherlands.

[Adirael]

Just this. It's called weed for something. Sure, growing high grade stuff it's expensive and hard, but that's not what most people are consuming anyway.

[dwiel]

Actually, growing your own is still illegal in Washington. Colorado limits each person to 6 plants. Will be interesting to see how the difference effects the markets.

[loeg]

Actually, if either of these conditions are met, it's legal to grow in Washington:

  * Medical cannabis patient (limited to some small number of plants, like CO), or
  * State-licensed grower under I-502

[jQueryIsAwesome]

Is a likely possibility; but there its not a sure thing; remember that after the end of the alcohol prohibition in the USA the crime rate did dropped[0]. Also, the jobs opportunities that legalization creates may help this become the case.

[0]http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-pro...