As you undoubtedly already know, voters in several states have decided to make marijuana legal in some shape or form over the last couple of years. In some states, only medical marijuana is legal, and only oils and edibles are available. Others have fully legalized pot for recreational use, and business is booming. A report by Arcview Market Research found that cannabis consumers spent more than $6.9 billion – yes BILLION – on legal marijuana-related purchases in 2016.
But it is not all smooth sailing. Lawmakers in several states are doing everything they can to delay, or derail, many of the new laws.
There are also questions about how the Trump administration will handle this nationwide shift towards legalization. The Obama administration told the Department of Justice not to spend resources enforcing federal drug laws in states that had legalized it on the local level. Trump could have the DOJ issue “cease and desist” letters to growers and distributors, he could push to legalize the drug at the federal level or find some middle ground. There is no hint yet as to what the path will be. In the meantime, states with new laws will continue struggling to figure out how to make this new normal work for them.
Jennifer Gladstone
Jennifer Gladstone is a news anchor and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in front of the camera. She's worked in several markets, large and small, and has performed nearly every task needed in a newsroom. As EBI’s Screening News Editor, she keeps EBI’s customers and blog subscribers up to date on the latest screening news and legislative alerts affecting companies of all sizes.
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