as of 7-17 in SoCal, Ive have seen a resurge in price, actually. established vendors wont take units for cash on-the-spot a lot of them are using Walmart as-go-between. however this does create some paper mostly for the person picking up. you can call and verify money is ready quickly: leaving units with no liquid on site is safer for everyone.
this is still a business based on trust and history; the days of, going shop to shop, and asking if they are seeing vendors is what is coming to an end. which leads to the blackmarket often offering very good prices and comparable products. this means a reputable middle man can make easy cash, just moving units between these two parties.
considering you need almost a dozen different (not counting city land) permits and licenses in SoCal. and they can change from city to city. so whats legal in San Diego city limits, may not be the same as the out lying comminutes. its really is a big mess right now.
I can see why some people might be like fuck-all-this and just find a dealer, with little legal trouble.