That kind of thing is an extreme minority in most places- weed culture is no less mercantile than any other. The la la stuff exists, to be sure, but so does my neighbor offering to share veggies from their garden. Either way, I don't think it's got much bearing on the illegal drug trade, or the crippled legal trade as the volume is just two completely different scales.
In my experience there's quite a bit of overlap between the kind of people who like to smoke weed and the kind of people who like to grow their own vegetables and sell them from their garden. Perhaps less so in cities. I think this is one of those stereotypes that has quite a bit of truth to it.
For example, my mom loves Whole Foods and would not prefer a CSA. There is comfort in the standard quality that McDonalds has to offer. Marketing labels and branding have become commonplace and widely celebrated amongst consumers.
To ask for these luxuries to be stripped away is preposterous to most people. “Your weed isn’t lab tested - but you could be killed!”
To help explain it...
I find what I need from friends and neighbors. I have built a system of trust that operates outside of the typical capitalistic reality that the rest of society runs on. Sometimes it means knowing where stuff was grown and who grew it. Sometimes the trust is more blind - it depends on the situation. Since cannabis is an organic compound (I only consume flower, not oil or edibles) I find it easy to "verify" that I am getting a legitimate product.
I don't mean to brag, but I have a situation where I mostly get it for free. It is all love, and to have people share the love makes it all the more special.
Another way to think of it like a CSA - would you want organic produce directly from the farm, or from Whole Foods?
I hope this helps, at the very least, humanizes the other side a little bit.