Colorado Orchestra CEO (broke, desperate and stupid)

[Buddhatuba]

And no, I won't float over to some trumpet forum to poke at any other discussion.

-30-

I appreciate the insight from a member of the CSO. This orchestra is simply trying to find new sponsors and to generate more interest in the orchestral scene. Nothing wrong with that!

[tofu]

Not all businesses are profitable, nor should they be.

Simply absurd. Enjoy your non-profitability.

[tbn.al]

Robert, I run my music business that way too, but I call it a hobby. Once I tried to call it a business and the IRS got really upset with me.

[MartyNeilan]

Are the Chinese knock-offs for 1/3 the price 2/3 as good?

[OOMPAH]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2axWfhru2vI

Explosions From Hash Oil Skyrocket in Colorado

Perhaps the Colorado Orchestra can make a few bucks off the insurance policy on the hall when the pot smokers blow the place up.

[Donn]

I'd talk to some of my band mates about this, but I guess I'd better get a job at least as good as theirs and do something about my other non-pursuits first. One of them, incidentally, is the only fellow musician I know of who regularly attends local symphony concerts.

[Teubonium]

City of Denver warns CSO that smoking pot in public places violates state and city laws.
They urge them to cancel the concerts or
"We will exercise any and all options available to the city of Denver to halt the event and hold the business owners (and) event organizers responsible for any violations of law."

http://www.denverpost.com/News/ci_25723 ... ny-to-call

Well, put that in your pipe and smoke it! or maybe not!!

[Dan Castillo]

I heard the Colorado Symphony many times and even had a chance to sub in the group a few times while I lived in Denver. Great orchestra!!

Say what you will, and it looks like you all have given this a lot of discussion already, this idea has gotten them a lot of national attention.

Also, hello Tuben!

[timothy42b]

I wonder about the long term economic impact, and long term impacts are what make arts funding possible.

But I'm not an economist, and have no clue if I'm on the right track.

We know this is a major cash crop, and a significant component of the local and larger economy.

Look at this chart of California's major agricultural products: http://norml.org/legal/item/california- ... cash-crops" target="_blank

The profits from these sales are recycled into durable goods, production, etc; they drive prosperity. Maybe.

But it is a valuable crop ONLY because of legislation driven scarcity. I googled to find out what it cost (having no clue) and found about $300 per ounce. That would be $4800 per pound, but cut it in half for volume discount, about $2400 to $3000 per pound. (and that roughly matches the estimate from California) Tomatoes are harder to grow, and sell for about $1.25 a pound, but that's because they aren't scarce, and they aren't scarce because they're not illegal.

Now, if legalization caused the price to drop, California's $3.87 billion crop just dropped to $1.6 million, about half a per cent of what the last place crop (lemons) bring in. For all practical purposes, you've eliminated $3.8 billion of California's $6.8 billion agricultural industry.

Would there be disposable income left to fund symphonies, museums, etc.?

[Donn]

Tomatoes are harder to grow

Not really, I think. $300 marijuana isn't harvested from weeds in a discreet spot in the woods, it's a carefully cultivated boutique product. Very different (I'm told) from the also illegal stuff that cost, I don't know what, $50 an ounce? back in the '70s. I don't know how the legal market is structured, but I expect $50 marijuana won't be feasible. Legal growers are carefully regulated, it's expensive and I expect will be very competitive in that same boutique sense. There are already hundreds of strains with different pharmacological effects and we're adding reliable branding, so lots of room to compete on quality. I don't know for sure what to expect here in Washington, but guessing probably mostly more than $300/oz. And they pay tax - and there will hopefully be an eventual slight reduction in the prison overpopulation, which is very expensive and not very productive.