Obama has been a real let down for us tokers.
The registration numbers might work differently in other states but here in Cali every county was supposed to start a program that would issue ID cards. Some did but they were all ran by the Sheriffs departments so no one really resisted for the state ID cards. Instead you just have to have a copy of your prescription and or a card which is basically the same thing. So who really knows how many patients there are.
The prices here have been way lower than other states many years before legalization, probably since the 60's

. I think it's just supply and demand, California grows most of the US cannabis. Plus when you sell a lot at once it is expected to be cheaper.
Check this out
http://cannacentral.com/news/what-us-state-produces-the-most-marijuana-per-person/
You might not guess it but by far, and I mean FAR, most of the weed grown never sees the medical market. For one, the overwhelming majority of the stuff produced is outdoor and only the best of that is acceptable on the medical market. Plus you can make a lot more selling out of state. I like using the dispensarys to sell mine though. Its nice to be totally legal about everything. Only tough part is getting a transportation agreement(without it you can only have 8 dried processed ounce per person in the car) and you can never get rid of more than about 10 p's at a time. Half the time you have to come back a month later to get paid too. Legally they are not supposed to pay you up front, they are to act as if its on consignment.
Being a caregiver here in Cali is different depending on how your county's DA interprets Prop 215 and SB 420. They are hardasses in my city, you can only be a caregiver to someone who lives in the same residence as you and you provide other basic care to. Outside the city limits its way more relaxed. Most of Cali you can grow 6 mature plants or 12 immature plants per patient but if you have more than a certain number of patients you have to set yourself up legally as a cooperative. So being a cooperative is a little different than being a dispensary. Most "Clubs" which is the general slang word are dispensaries so they allow members to sell cannabis on consignment to other members, that's why they are not supposed to just buy it from you and sell it to their patients. Some are cooperatives and when you join you basically make them your caretaker and give up the ability to grow for yourself. They don't really point this out to the people who join nor do they actually expect them to not grow their own. There is another "legal organization"? often called a cooperative as well where many growers work together in a single space.
In my eye's setting up a club is great if you already have money. If you are relying on it being successful to pay the bills you might be setting yourself up for trouble. Its all about getting in on a newly opened market, staying within the local interpretation of the laws and being one of the ones that gets to remain open after the entire downtown turns to clubs and 90% get shutdown.
If I had money I'd do it. On the other hand there are many ways to make a modest living with cannabis.