When states legalize pot for all adults, long-standing medical marijuana programs take a big hit, in some cases losing more than half their registered patients in just a few years, according to a data analysis by The Associated Press.

Much of the decline comes from consumers who, ill or not, had medical cards in their states because it was the only way to buy marijuana legally before broad legalization. But for people who truly rely on marijuana to control ailments such as nausea or cancer pain, the arrival of so-called recreational cannabis can mean fewer and more expensive options

Medical Pot Takes Hit When Weed Legal for All

So, first you admit that a lot of people with Medical Pot Cards were not sick but just needed a government-medically-issued excuse to munch heavily on Doritos. Next you are surprised that people would go for the cheaper Free Market untaxed  pot from the corner dealer with little overhead rather than the more costly store-with-expenses-and-taxes ganja.

It goes to show that it was not decriminalization what they were after but another way to collect more taxes for the government till. I see in a few years the government cracking hard on non-commercial traffic and growth of pot with the BAMTF (Bureau of Alcohol, Marijuana, Tobacco and Firearms) leading the charge.