I live in colorado... That is definitely not the case. Maybe if your friend doesn't know anybody.. Or I guess the right people.. I know plenty of people out here pushing 500-1000 elbows/year moving them all at 15-18 each.. Better numbers then I've seen in Cali and states that have not been legal.. Guess part of it probably depends if you can grow good quality outdoors or not. In colorado I've seen much better quality outdoors than in as long as the grower knows what he is doing.. Probably because most outdoor here is produced at 9000+ feet elevation. That elevation = stronger UV rays = more thc.
Although I will say many people moved here after legalization (due to legalization) to grow who don't know wtf they are doing and those people who blow at growing, producing shit quality can definitely not move anything they grow.. Because it's terrible quality. Ultimately legalization has been bad for colorado, brought wayyyy to much heat to us Coloradans that have been doing it for years.. They've even been trying to crack down on completely legal patients with raised plant counts in certain counties. It's screwed up... But ya, basically here in CO the GOOD outdoor/greenhouse growers have absolutely no problem moving there stuff for indoor prices. I mean shit, most indoor here looks like poor quality outdoor.. But the poor quality OD/GH growers on the other hand can't move anything because no one wants that doo-doo, even for dirt cheap prices.
Sorry for the rant.. But coming from a local whose lived here most his life , that is the reality of it here.