2020考研学子们，在备考公共课英语科目时，别忘记关注下考研英语经济学人杂志中的文章!因为英语试卷中的阅读理解文章，有些可能会节选自经济学人中的内容。下面，北京文都考研网为帮助考生提升英语水平，整理出英语经济学人:加州大麻市场为何频频萎缩?供考生参考。
2020考研英语经济学人:加州大麻市场为何频频萎缩?
Harbourside Cannabis in Oakland is a modern-day temple to the delights and possibilities of the botanical marvel that is the plant Cannabis sativa. Around the airy shop move a well-heeled clientele. They browse among offerings ranging from cannabis-infused chocolate to sparkling water and vape pens.
奥克兰的哈伯赛德大麻公司是一座可供寻求快乐和见识到大麻种植奇观的现代庙宇。一群有钱人在通透的大麻商店里来来往往。他们浏览着从大麻巧克力到大麻起泡水和大麻电子烟等各式各样的大麻商品。
California was the first state to allow sales of medical cannabis in 1996, and Harbourside one of the first shops in America to sell pot legally. Since January last year, the firm has also been able to sell pot for purely recreational purposes.
1996年，加州成为美国首个允许销售医用大麻的州，哈伯赛德也是美国首批合法销售大麻的商店之一。自去年1月以来，哈伯赛德也能销售纯娱乐用途的大麻了。
Thanks to its large number of “medical” users, California’s is the largest legal cannabis market in the world. But since the legalisation of adult sales, that market has been shrinking.
得益于大批的“医疗”用户，加州成为了全球最大的合法大麻市场。但自从推行了成人用大麻合法化政策后，加州的合法大麻市场就一直在萎缩。
Allowing legal sales is supposed to increase the size of the market as they force illicit sellers out of business. That is the way it has happened in other states where cannabis is legal. But according to BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research, legal sales in California were $2.5bn in 2018, down from $3bn in 2017.
允许合法销售大麻本该使市场规模得以扩大，因为这将使非法卖家被迫停业。其他推行了大麻合法化的州正是如此。但据 BDS Analytics 和 Arcview Market Research 的数据显示，2018年加州合法大麻的销售额为25亿美元，低于2017年的30亿美元。
Josh Drayton, spokesman for the California Cannabis Industry Association, says that the state has gone from being the most loosely regulated market in the world to one of the most tightly regulated. Moreover, he says the regulations go above and beyond those for other products.
加州大麻产业协会发言人乔什·德雷顿称，加州已经从世界上监管最宽松的市场之一变成了监管最严格的市场之一。此外，他还说，对大麻的规定远远超出了对其他产品的规定。
Bringing a messy market under control is likened by many in the industry to putting the toothpaste back in the tube. Many firms operating in the medical market find the new regulations challenging and the fees to get permits and licences too expensive.
许多业内人士认为，对一个混乱的市场加以控制就好比将挤出去的牙膏塞回牙膏管中。许多经营于医疗市场的公司发现，新法规是具有挑战性的，而且获得许可证和营业执照的费用过于高昂。
On top of regulations come taxes in great abundance. There is a retail excise tax of 15%, in addition to a sales tax that starts at 7.25%—rising according to the levels set by county and city governments. Taxes on cultivation are many and inventive, too.
除此之外，还要交大量的税。除了起征点为7.25%的销售税外，还有15%的零售消费税，而且根据各州政府和市政府设定的标准，税率可能会更高。就连种植大麻也有着许多别出心裁的税种。
On top of this federal taxes must still be paid, even though the product remains illegal under federal law. The federal government declines to allow firms to make deductions for running costs. Cannabis firms are thus taxed on gross profits. The upshot is that legal weed is expensive.
此外，虽然大麻相关产品在联邦法律下是非法的，但企业仍需缴纳联邦税。联邦政府不允许大麻公司扣除运营成本。因此，大麻公司需按毛利润缴税。结果导致合法大麻价格昂贵。
Andrew Berman, boss of Harbourside, says your correspondent (should she want to) could get an ounce of cannabis delivered outside his store for $150. In his shop the same product, legally bought, would cost $400.
Harbourside 的老板安德鲁·伯曼说，《经济学人》的记者(如果她愿意的话)可以在他的商店外以150美元的价格买到一盎司(约合28克)大麻。但在他的店里，合法购买同样多的大麻要花400美元。
These factors go a long way to explaining California’s incredible shrinking legal cannabis market. Another hindrance is that most cities across the state have decided, initially, not to allow recreational sales. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have allowed shops but have been slow to issue licences.
这些因素从很大程度上解释了加州合法大麻市场让人难以置信的萎缩。另一个障碍则是，全州大多数城市最初是决定禁止销售娱乐用大麻的。一些城市(例如洛杉矶)已经允许开设大麻商店，但却迟迟没有颁发营业执照。
【词汇】
botanical [bə'tænɪkl] adj. 植物学的 n. 植物性药材
illicit [ɪ'lɪsɪt] adj. 违法的;不正当的
correspondent [,kɔrə'spɑndənt] n. 通讯记者;客户;通信者;代理商行
hindrance ['hɪndrəns] n. 障碍;妨碍;妨害;阻碍物
以上是北京文都考研网分享的——“2020考研英语经济学人:加州大麻市场为何频频萎缩?”，希望对2020考研者在复习英语上面有所帮助!祝2020考研凯旋归来!
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