Yea, the heyday for the blackmarket small grower is definitely over, but there is still money to be made if you have quality, variety, a fair price and a loyal customer base.
I live in CT, and my nextdoor neighbor MA just went legal and I did have to adjust my prices to match or better their dispensaries prices, which didn't feel good, but that's business.
I reduced my price from $15 a gram to $10 (I only sell 1/4 lbs, less jail time
), but that still makes me decent money, although not as much as I wanted or deserved. It still does beat the going rates by a long shot of what they are charging in stores, and plus my variety is exceptional, like this month my strains are White Widow, Atomic Bomb, Blue Dream, Gold Leaf, Girl Scout Cookies, Chemdog and Afgan Skunk for example
What I do know is that customers keep coming back, and I still struggle to keep up with demand (27 plants in a perpetual), and I just smile when someone says to me that I charge too much, because I simply say go away, buy that other shit then. (they never do)
Would I advise someone to start up an illegal grow operation now?
No, I wouldn't because of a few reasons.
1- It costs a LOT (lights/power/nutes/rent if applicable)
2- It takes a long time to build up a reliable customer base in order to make a profit
3- It still is a Federal Class A felony to grow/sell marijuana in the US, which is something not to dismiss lightly.
So anyway, to make a long story short, I'm into growing/selling for the long haul, too late now to turn back and give it up (my wife would leave me, she smokes a lot
) .I make a little less than I used too, but what the fuck, it still beats working like a slave for some Republican cocksuker, like my old boss
Fuck Trump, by the way
.