In 1969, a Gallup poll showed that only 12% of the population believed that cannabis should be legal. Fast forward to 2016 and that number has risen dramatically – to 60 percent.
In fact, the use of medical cannabis is legal in over half of the 50 states in America – 28 to be exact. And recently, in the 2016 election, 8 states approved the use of cannabis for medical (Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas, and Florida) and recreational (Maine, Nevada, Massachusetts, and California) use.
The is all good news for dispensaries in Las Vegas. Due to its indulgent reputation and the freedom it offers to pot users, the city is being hailed as “the future cannabis capital of the world.”
As of right now, this city is already a hot canna-tourism destination, mainly because of its lax reciprocity laws. Basically, they allow medical marijuana patients from other states to purchase cannabis at Las Vegas dispensaries. Furthermore, it is estimated that the city is visited by roughly 45 million tourists every year and, with the recent legalization of recreational cannabis, this number is expected to increase significantly.
When this happens, the potential demand for cannabis will likely skyrocket, leaving the 40 or so authorized Las Vegas dispensaries hard pressed to keep up with the demand. In other words, the market growth for these establishments is virtually guaranteed.
The Future of Legalization in the States
The demand for more dispensaries and the increase in support for legalization shows that voters have begun to recognize both the negative impacts of marijuana prohibition and the medicinal benefits of the herb. Furthermore, it’s safe to say that a large number of cannabis lovers will use the plant no matter what the law says. Some common ground had to be found.
Thankfully, a consensus was reached. The money generated from legal cannabis taxation could be used for education and in other areas where state budgets were lacking. This gave both voters who either don’t use or like cannabis a reason to vote in favor of its legalization.
But, it’s important to note that with the election of a wild-card of a president, the future of the legalization movement is up in the air. Trump has said that there will be negative effects from the legalization of this herb, but he also stated that medical and recreational cannabis should be handled on a state level. Still, it’s unlikely that changing the cannabis laws will be a top priority for Trump and his administration.
The States That We Can Expect To Jump on The Cannabis Bandwagon
Issues with Trump notwithstanding, the news just keeps getting better for America’s burgeoning cannabis industry. Due to its success in the places where its use has been legalized, there are several other states that seem to be on the verge of following the cannabis route as well. Some of them include:
- Arizona: Because of their recent (and close but no dice) bid for legalization last year, activists in this state can’t wait to get another shot on the ballot. So, don’t be surprised if medical marijuana reform rears its little head in 2018. The larger battle, for full legalization, won’t happen for another couple of years – activists will need time to persuade the conservative Arizona electoral to see their side of things.
- Idaho: Three years ago, the state senate voted to never legalize cannabis in this state. But, this hasn’t stopped activists – they are determined to have medical cannabis on the next ballot.
- Missouri: Due to the lack of a mere 23 votes in one St. Louis district, the measure was declined in last year’s election. But, this can be easily rectified. In other words, the medical cannabis measure will probably be met with approval the next time it shows up on the ballot.
- Oklahoma: Due to some ballot printing deadlines, the medical marijuana issue didn’t make the 2016 ballot. But, this probably won’t be the case next time – especially since it passed in nearby Arkansas.
- Rhode Island: Activists in this state are ready to put cannabis legalization on the ballot in 2018. But, their legislature may be ahead of them. Apparently, lawmakers are considering their own legalization statute, which may be seen as early as the 2017 session.
The Bottom Line
The future of cannabis in America is looking bright. But there will, no doubt, be some bumps in the road. Still, if activists keep pushing, these obstacles will be naught but little irritations that can easily be eliminated.
Article provided by Essence Cannabis Dispensary