# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Should we legalize marijuana? If we legalize, what in particular should be legal? Just possessing marijuana and growing your own? Selling and advertising? If selling becomes legal, who gets to sell? Corporations? Co-ops? The government? What regulations should apply? How high should taxes be? Different forms of legalization could bring very different results.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Medical Marijuana and Marijuana Legalization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
State-level marijuana liberalization policies have been evolving for the past five decades, and yet the overall scientific evidence of the impact of these policies is widely believed to be inconclusive. In this review we summarize some of the key limitations of the studies evaluating the effects of…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Abstract

Recent years have seen substantial shifts in cultural attitudes towards marijuana for medical and recreational use. Potential problems with the approval, production, dispensation, route of administration, and negative health effects of medical and recreational marijuana are reviewed. Medical marijuana should be subject to the same rigorous approval process as other medications prescribed by physicians. Legalizing recreational marijuana may have negative public health effects.

Introduction

Recent years have seen a cultural shift in attitudes towards marijuana. At the time of this writing, medical marijuana is legal in 20 states and the District of Columbia; recreational marijuana is now legal in Washington and Colorado. A substantial and growing literature documents legalized marijuana may have adverse effects on individual and public health.

Medical Use of Marijuana

The term 'medical marijuana' implies that marijuana is like any other medication prescribed by a physician. Yet the ways in which medical marijuana has been approved, prescribed, and made available to the public are very different from other commercially available prescription drugs. These differences pose problems unrecognized by the public and by many physicians.

Lack of Evidence for Therapeutic Benefit

In the United States, commercially available drugs are subject to rigorous clinical trials to evaluate safety and efficacy. Data appraising the effectiveness of marijuana in conditions such as HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, and chemotherapy-associated vomiting is limited and often only anecdotal.1,2 To date, there has been only one randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of smoked marijuana for any of its potential indications, which showed that marijuana was superior to placebo but inferior to Ondansetron in treating nausea.3 Recent reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration find insufficient evidence to support the use of smoked marijuana for a number of potential indications, including pain related to rheumatoid arthritis,4 dementia,5 ataxia or tremor in multiple sclerosis,6 and cachexia and other symptoms in HIV/AIDS.2 This does not mean, of course, that components of marijuana do not have potential therapeutic effects to alleviate onerous symptoms of these diseases; but, given the unfavorable side effect profile of marijuana, the evidence to justify use in these conditions is still lacking.

Contamination, Concentration & Route of Administration

Unlike any other prescription drug used for medical purposes, marijuana is not subject to central regulatory oversight. It is grown in dispensaries, which, depending on the state, have regulatory standards ranging from strict to almost non-existent. The crude marijuana plant and its products may be contaminated with fungus or mold.7 This is especially problematic for immunocompromised patients,8 including those with HIV/AIDS or cancer.9 Furthermore, crude marijuana contains over 60 active cannabinoids,10 few of which are well studied. Marijuana growers often breed their plants to alter the concentrations of different chemicals compounds. For instance, the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive ingredient, is more than 20-fold more than in marijuana products used several decades ago. Without rigorous clinical trials, we have no way of knowing which combinations of cannabinoids may be therapeutic and which may be deleterious. As marijuana dispensaries experiment by breeding out different cannabinoids in order to increase the potency of THC, there may be unanticipated negative and lasting effects for individuals who smoke these strains.

Marijuana is the only 'medication' that is smoked, and, while still incompletely understood, there are legitimate concerns about long-term effects of marijuana smoke on the lungs.11,12 Compared with cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke can result in three times the amount of inhaled tar and four times the amount of inhaled carbon-monoxide.13 Further, smoking marijuana has been shown to be a risk factor for lung cancer in many14,15 but not all16 studies.

High Potential for Diversion

In some states, patients are permitted to grow their own marijuana. In addition to contributing to problems such as contamination and concentration as discussed above, this practice also invites drug diversion. Patients seeking to benefit financially may bypass local regulations of production and sell home-grown marijuana at prices lower than dispensaries. We do not allow patient to grow their own opium for treatment of chronic pain; the derivatives of opium, like marijuana, are highly addictive and thus stringently regulated.

Widespread "Off-label" Use

FDA-approved forms of THC (Dronabinol) and a THC-analog (Nabilone), both available orally, already exist. Indications for these drugs are HIV/AIDS cachexia and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. Unlike smoked, crude marijuana, these medications have been subject to randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trials. Yet despite these limited indications where marijuana compounds have a proven but modest effect in high-quality clinical trials, medical marijuana is used overwhelmingly for non-specific pain or muscle spasms. Recent data from Colorado show that 94% of patients with medical marijuana cards received them for treatment of "severe pain."17 Similar trends are evident in California.18 Evidence for the benefit of marijuana in neuropathic pain is seen in many19⁻21 but not all22 clinical trials. There is no high-quality evidence, however, that the drug reduces non-neuropathic pain; this remains an indication for which data sufficient to justify the risks of medical marijuana is lacking.4, 23⁻25

If marijuana is to be 'prescribed' by physicians and used as a medication, it should be subject to the same rigorous approval process that other commercially available drugs undergo. Potentially therapeutic components of marijuana should be investigated, but they should only be made available to the public after adequately powered, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated efficacy and acceptable safety profiles. Furthermore, these compounds should be administered in a way that poses less risk than smoking and dispensed via standardized and FDA-regulated pharmacies to ensure purity and concentration. Bypassing the FDA and approving 'medicine' at the ballot box sets a dangerous precedent. Physicians should be discouraged from recommending medical marijuana. Alternatively, consideration can be given to prescribing FDA-approved medicines (Dronabinol or Cesamet) as the purity and concentration of these drugs are assured and their efficacy and side effect profiles have been well documented in rigorous clinical trials.

Recreational Marijuana

The question of recreational marijuana is a broader social policy consideration involving implications of the effects of legalization on international drug cartels, domestic criminal justice policy, and federal and state tax revenue in addition to public health. Yet physicians, with a responsibility for public health, are experts with a vested interest in this issue. Recent legislation, reflecting changes in the public's attitudes towards marijuana, has permitted the recreational use of marijuana in Colorado and Washington. Unfortunately, the negative health consequences of the drug are not prominent in the debate over legalizing marijuana for recreational use. In many cases, these negative effects are more pronounced in adolescents. A compelling argument, based on these negative health effects in both adolescents and adults, can be made to abort the direction society is moving with regards to the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Myth: Marijuana is Not Addictive

A growing myth among the public is that marijuana is not an addictive substance. Data clearly show that about 10% of those who use cannabis become addicted; this number is higher among adolescents.26 Users who seek treatment for marijuana addiction average 10 years of daily use.27 A withdrawal syndrome has been described, consisting of anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, depression, and changes in appetite28 and affects as many as 44% of frequent users,29 contributing to the addictive potential of the drug. This addictive potential may be less than that of opiates; but the belief, especially among adolescents, that the drug is not addictive is misguided.

Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders

Marijuana has been consistently shown to be a risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.30⁻32 The association between marijuana and schizophrenia fulfills many, but not all, of the standard criteria for the epidemiological establishment of causation, including experimental evidence,33,34 temporal relationship,35⁻38 biological gradient,30,31,39 and biological plausibility.40 Genetic variation may explain why marijuana use does not strongly fulfill remaining criteria, such as strength of association and specificity.41,42 As these genetic variants are explored and further characterized, marijuana use may be shown to cause or precipitate schizophrenia in a genetically vulnerable population. The risk of psychotic disorder is more pronounced when marijuana is used at an earlier age.32, 43

Effects on Cognition

Early studies suggested cognitive declines associated with marijuana (especially early and heavy use); these declines persisted long after the period of acute cannabis intoxication.44⁻46 Recently, Meier and colleagues analyzed data from a prospective study which followed subjects from birth to age 38; their findings yielded supportive evidence that cannabis use, when begun during adolescence, was associated with cognitive impairment in multiple areas, including executive functioning, processing speed, memory, perceptual reasoning, and verbal comprehension.47 Rogeberg48 criticized the study's methodology, claiming that the results were confounded by differences in socioeconomic status; this claim, however, was based on sub-analyses that used very small numbers. Additional sub-analyses49 of the original study cohort showed that marijuana was just as prevalent in populations of higher socioeconomic status, suggesting that socioeconomic status was not a confounding variable. Any epidemiological study is subject to confounding biases and future research will be needed to clarify and quantify the relationship between cognitive decline and adolescent marijuana use. However, the findings of the original study by Meier et al show there is indeed an independent relationship between loss of intelligence and adolescent marijuana use. This finding, moreover, is consistent with prior studies.44

Other Negative Health Effects

Substantial evidence exists suggesting that marijuana is harmful to the respiratory system. It is associated with symptoms of obstructive and inflammatory lung disease,11,50 an increased risk of lung cancer,14,15 and it is suspected to be associated with reduced pulmonary function in heavy users.51 Further, its use has been associated with harmful effects to other organ systems, including the reproductive,52 gastrointestinal,53 and immunologic10, 54 systems.

Social Safety Implications: Effects on Driving

Marijuana impairs the ability to judge time, distance, and speed; it slows reaction time and reduces ability to track moving objects.55,56 In many studies of drug-related motor vehicle fatalities, marijuana is the most common drug detected except for alcohol.57,58 Based on post-mortem studies, Couch et al determined that marijuana was likely an impairing factor in as many fatal accidents as alcohol.59 One study showed that in motor vehicle accidents where the driver was killed, recent marijuana use was detected in 12% of cases.57 Other research confirms a significantly increased risk of motor vehicle fatalities in association with acute cannabis intoxication.60

Risk Perception and Use in Adolescents

Marijuana use among adolescents has been increasing. Data that has tracked risk perception and use of marijuana among adolescents over decades clearly shows an inverse relationship; as adolescent risk perception wanes, marijuana use increases.61 As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, risk perception is expected to decrease, causing the prevalence of use among adolescent to continue to rise. This is among the most concerning of issues about the drug's legalization because so many of the negative effects of marijuana-including cognitive impairment and risk for short- and long-term psychosis- are heightened when used during adolescence.

Conclusion

There is some evidence that compounds naturally found in marijuana have therapeutic benefit for symptoms of diseases such as HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. If these compounds are to be used under the auspices of 'medical marijuana,' they should undergo the same rigorous approval process that other medications prescribed by physicians, including randomized, placebo- and active-controlled trials to evaluate safety and efficacy, not by popular vote or state legislature. Furthermore, these therapeutic compounds should be administered via a route that minimizes long-term health risk (i.e., via oral pill) and should be dispensed by centrally regulated pharmacies to ensure the purity and concentration of the drug and allow for the recall of contaminated batches.

Marijuana for recreational use will have many adverse health effects. The drug is addictive, with mounting evidence for the existence of a withdrawal syndrome. Furthermore, it has been shown to have adverse effects on mental health, intelligence (including irreversible declines in cognition), and the respiratory system. Driving while acutely intoxicated with marijuana greatly increases the risk of fatal motor vehicle collision. Legalization for recreational use may have theoretical (but still unproven) beneficial social effects regarding issues such as domestic criminal justice policy, but these effects will not come without substantial public health and social costs. Currently there is a lack of resources devoted to educating physicians about this most commonly used illicit substance. The potential benefits and significant risks associated with marijuana use should be taught in medical schools and residency programs throughout the country.

Biography

Samuel T. Wilkinson, MD, is in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Ct.

Contact: ude.elay@nosnikliw.leumaS

References

1. Gloss D, Vickrey B. Cannabinoids for epilepsy. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2012:13. [[ PubMed] Google Scholar]

5. Krishnan S, Cairns R, Howard R. Cannabinoids for the treatment of dementia. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2009:CD007204. [[ PMC free article] [ PubMed] Google Scholar]

6. Mills RJ, Yap L, Young CA. Treatment for ataxia in multiple sclerosis. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 2007:CD005029. [[ PubMed] Google Scholar]

18. Nunberg H, Kilmer B, Pacula RL, Burgdorf J. An Analysis of Applicants Presenting to a Medical Marijuana Specialty Practice in California. Journal of drug policy analysis. 2011:4. [[ PMC free article] [ PubMed] Google Scholar]

Articles from Missouri Medicine are provided here courtesy of Missouri State Medical Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
More Reasons States Should Not Legalize Marijuana: Medical and Recreational Marijuana: Commentary and Review of the Literature

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recent years have seen substantial shifts in cultural attitudes towards marijuana for medical and recreational use. Potential problems with the approval, production, dispensation, route of administration, and negative health effects of medical and recreational ...

# data[].attributes.body
1. legalized marijuana business appears to highly profitable because; it will generate an enormous amount of revenue

2. The legalization of marijuana would cut down on the black market sales of marijuana.

3. Marijuana has been shown to be very beneficial to those suffering from health complications. Medical marijuana has been used to reduce pain in chronic diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and migraines.

4. The enforcement of marijuana prohibition is racist because people of color are disproportionately impacted.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Although occasional marijuana use is not associated with substantial problems, long-term, heavy use is linked to psychological and physical health concerns, lower educational attainment, decline in social class, unemployment, and motor vehicle crashes.

2. if legalization is leading to more use and addiction overall, that could cause real problems — for individuals and society at large — down the line.

3. relative increase in cannabis use disorder among adolescents in legalization states compared to those in non-legalization states

4. Growing marijuana harms the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A new study suggests that marijuana legalization leads to more cannabis use and perhaps addiction, particularly among adults 26 and older - highlighting a public health downside to a policy change that now 11 states and Washington, DC, have adopted and several others are considering.

The consequences could be serious. As Magdalena Cerdá, the study's lead author, and her coauthors wrote in JAMA Psychiatry, "Although occasional marijuana use is not associated with substantial problems, long-term, heavy use is linked to psychological and physical health concerns, lower educational attainment, decline in social class, unemployment, and motor vehicle crashes."

In short: If legalization only makes occasional use easier, that's probably not a concern. But if legalization is leading to more use and addiction overall, that could cause real problems - for individuals and society at large - down the line.

Cerdá, who's also a drug policy expert at New York University, cautioned that the results should not be taken to mean that legalization is a bad idea, but that the way the country legalizes should better take into account, and try to prevent, more problematic use and addiction.

"This study is in no way meant to suggest that legalization shouldn't take place," Cerdá said. "It's a separate issue altogether."

To that end, the study could help inform us about how to legalize, rather than if we should legalize - making it relevant not just to people who oppose legalization, but to those who are interested in getting legalization right.

What the study found

Pulling from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, looked at how marijuana legalization changed whether people had used marijuana in the past month, whether they had used it frequently (20 or more days in the previous month), and whether they had met NSDUH's criteria for cannabis use disorder, which ranges from problematic use to addiction, in the past year. The researchers focused on the first four states to legalize - Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska - and divided the findings among adolescents (12 to 17), young adults (18 to 25), and older adults (26 and older).

The researchers found marijuana use, frequent use, and cannabis use disorder increased more among older adults in legalization states than in non-legalization states. Among older adults in legalization states, past-month use went from 5.65 percent to 7.1 percent, past-month frequent use went from 2.13 percent to 2.62 percent, and past-year cannabis use disorder went from 0.9 to 1.23 percent.

The study also found a relative increase in cannabis use disorder among adolescents in legalization states compared to those in non-legalization states, but the findings were so small that the researchers suggested caution.

"For adolescents, I think we need to take the findings with a grain of salt," Cerdá said. "We need to really track changes among adolescents over a longer period of time and across other states that are legalizing to see if that's really a robust finding or it's actually due to some other third factor."

The study found no relative increase in use, frequent use, or cannabis use disorder among young adults in legalization states. Cerdá offered one potential explanation: "This is the age where people take risks. ... People don't have a lot of responsibilities. They don't yet have a family or a stable job. So perhaps at this age, legal limits don't matter so much - particularly for a drug like marijuana, which is more socially accepted."

The researchers took several steps to validate their results. They looked at demographic and socioeconomic changes to see if they had any effect. They checked if marijuana use had been especially increasing in legalization states before legalization. They conducted statistical sensitivity analyses to try to account for other variables that they may have missed.

But the findings held up: While the results for adolescents are small enough to warrant caution, there does seem to be something going on with marijuana use among adults 26 and older.

Still, there are caveats. For one, correlation is not causation, and there's always a chance that a study like this, no matter the statistical checks, overstates causation. Rebecca Goldin, director of STATS.org, which connects journalists to statisticians, gave me one example of reversed causation: "It could be that increases in marijuana use (or desire to use marijuana - or cultural affinity toward the use of marijuana) led to successful efforts to legalize it."

The data is also based on self-reports of marijuana use. That could lead to differences between legalization and non-legalization states if people are more comfortable admitting to marijuana use - especially frequent marijuana use - once a state has legalized. Goldin cautioned, though, that the differences between age groups push against that possibility: "It would be hard to argue that this group [of adults 26 and older] is more willing to report increased use after legalization than other age groups (compared to before legalization)."

This is the first study, as far as Cerdá can tell, that looks at the effects of recreational legalization across age groups. Other studies have looked at the effects of use among adolescents, but this is the first to take a closer look at use among older adults. As more research is done, with longer time periods and including other states, the results could be different. It could even be that the study underestimated the consequences of legalization, given that recreational marijuana markets are still relatively young.

For now, though, the best evidence we have indicates that problematic marijuana use does go up among older adults after legalization, but there doesn't seem to be a very significant, if any, effect among younger groups.

This isn't necessarily a case against legalization

Cerdá was very clear: She does not see her study as making a case against legalization. Rather, she sees it as adding to the discussion about how to legalize.

"As states legalize marijuana, we need to be measuring public health effects," Cerdá said. "It's a responsible way to legalize."

She pointed out, for example, that there are plenty of studies showing legal drugs, like alcohol and tobacco, have negative effects on society. After all, excessive drinking is linked to 88,000 deaths a year, and tobacco smoking to 480,000 to 540,000 deaths a year. But it's rare that someone suggests banning the drugs altogether versus, say, increasing taxes or improving other regulations.

"We can start to think about ways to legalize that prevent those unintended consequences, just like we would regulate tobacco and alcohol," Cerdá said.

Legalization, she added, "has a lot of important benefits from a criminal justice standpoint, and I think it could, if done well, have benefits from a public health standpoint. If it's well-regulated, we could regulate the quality of the product, we could regulate the potency of the product - in a way we couldn't if it were illegal."

This is something I've heard from drug policy experts again and again: There is no such thing as a perfect policy in this area (or, really, any other area). Perhaps legalization does lead to more use, even problematic use. But that has to be weighed with the downsides of keeping marijuana illegal - the hundreds of thousands of thousands of arrests a year, the racial disparities in those arrests, the money flowing to drug cartels, and the infringement on civil liberties.

Ultimately, then, the role of the public and policymakers is not to find the perfect policy but to weigh the pros and cons.

So it's possible - and I would say likely - that marijuana legalization is generally a better approach than criminal prohibition, but there are better ways to legalize than what states are generally doing now.

As it stands, most of the states that have legalized have adopted a model that lets for-profit companies produce, sell, and market the drug, similar to alcohol. But these companies have a perverse incentive - because the most lucrative customers, for them, are those who use (and buy) a lot of pot, even if it's to feed an addiction.

Some early data from Colorado, one of the first two states to legalize, speaks to this point. A 2014 study of the state's legal pot market, conducted by the Marijuana Policy Group for the state's Department of Revenue, found the top 29.9 percent heaviest pot users in Colorado made up 87.1 percent of the demand for the drug.

Given these statistics, to whom is the marijuana industry likely to market its product? Will the industry care much about the risks of problematic use or addiction if companies profit from it?

But there are ways to legalize that don't lead to such commercial, for-profit interests. The government could legalize possession and gifting but not sales, as Washington, DC, has done. It could put state agencies in charge of selling pot, as some provinces in Canada are doing - which research has linked to better public health outcomes for alcohol. A RAND report, in fact, noted that there are at least a dozen alternatives to standard prohibition.

So far, though, only prohibition and the standard commercial model have gotten a lot of discussion. But if you take the risks of legalization seriously, the more widespread commercial model may not be the best idea - even if you support legalization.
If you or someone you know needs addiction treatment, you can seek help online at FindTreatment.gov or by phone at 1-800-662-4357. If you need more information, Vox put together a guide for how to find good addiction treatment.
Millions turn to Vox to understand what's happening in the news. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today from as little as $3.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A new study found marijuana legalization leads to more problematic use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A new study suggests that marijuana legalization leads to more cannabis use and perhaps addiction, particularly among adults 26 and older - highlighting a public health downside to a policy change that now 11 states and Washington, DC, have adopted and several others are considering. The consequences could be serious.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although the Presidential election drew most of the attention in November of 2020, there were several other important decisions made at the polls as well: notably, several states held votes to determine the future of the legal cannabis industry in one form or another. Taking a leaf out of Colorado or Washington's book, four states-New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, and Arizona-passed measures to make marijuana consumption for recreational purposes legal. Mississippi also voted to allow medical marijuana.

State legislation remains heavily divided on the topic. Since the 2020 election, South Dakota Circuit Judge Christina Klinger ruled that the measure was unconstitutional. In November 2021, the South Dakota Supreme Court agreed and ruled against pot legalization. On the other hand, Arizona has collected more than $284 million of tax revenue since the legalization of marijuana in the state.

All told, more and more states are moving to legalize marijuana (whether for medicinal or recreational use, or both). The legal changes have spawned a burgeoning industry of legal cannabis companies, including those which aim to research and develop cannabis-based medical products, those which are working to distribute and grow marijuana, and many others.

As of May 2022, 37 states allow the use of medical cannabis products, while 18 states allow the use of non-medical cannabis products for personal consumption. States are continuing to propose new legislation to encourage legal activity. Delaware is circulating HB 305, a bill that would make marijuana legal for adults. Meanwhile, 62% of Marylanders now support non-recreational legalization.

The economic benefits of legalizing weed have already been apparent as the first states have moved to change their legal positions. Overall, legal marijuana could mean a big push for state economies and big bucks for both the state and the federal governments. Though state law and federal law remain divided on the issue. let's explore some of the key economic benefits of legal marijuana.

Key Takeaways

Impact on Tax Revenue

Better than expected sales of marijuana in Colorado and Washington over the past several years have resulted in buoyant tax revenues. In 2021, Washington collected $559.5 million of legal marijuana revenue, over $85 million more revenue than 2020. Meanwhile, Colorado collected $423 million of marijuana tax revenue in 2021, up almost 10% from the year prior.

In 2019, total tax revenue collected by all states topped $1.7 billion. two years later, the total dollar revenue had more than doubled. Aggregate revenue for all states hit $3.7 billion for legal, adult-use cannabis sales, and this does not include revenue generated for statewide budgets, cities, and towns. In addition, six states that have approved marijuana use had not started collecting marijuana tax revenue in 2021.

Should marijuana become legal on a federal level, the benefits to the economy could be exceptional: A report from cannabis analytics company New Frontier suggests that federally legal pot could generate an additional $105.6 billion in aggregate federal tax revenue by 2025.

Income and Jobs

Setting up marijuana nurseries and dispensaries would be the first step for the states that voted in favor of medical marijuana. These would not only create jobs but also set the ball rolling for economic activity in the pot industry in these areas. In the case of states like California and Nevada where such infrastructure already exists, the economic impact has become more quantifiable as the sector has matured.

An RCG Economics and Marijuana Policy Group study on Nevada says that legalizing recreational marijuana in the state could support over 41,000 jobs till 2024 and generate over $1.7 billion in labor income. The ICF study estimates at least 81,000 additional direct, indirect, and induced jobs in California as a result of legalized marijuana sales. It also projects an increase in total labor income by at least $3.5 billion.

New Frontier's report predicting the impact of federally legal marijuana suggests that nationwide legalization could generate 1 million jobs by 2025. These jobs would likely come from the quickly growing industry which would spring up across the nation. Workers would be needed to farm, process, distribute, and sell marijuana-based products. Further, there would be ample opportunities for secondary industries that are related to legal cannabis although not directly involved in its production and distribution. These might include software developers, financing services, construction companies, and many others.

Investment Opportunities

Legal marijuana presents the possibility of tremendous benefits to economies on a local and a national scale. It also could help to secure the investment portfolios of investors across the country and further afield as well. While marijuana remains illegal on the federal level, it is difficult for investors to capitalize on the growth of the industry. The number of marijuana-related companies trading on public stock exchanges is minuscule, and while investors do have the option of working with over-the-counter exchanges, many of the most successful businesses in the early legal cannabis space have been based in Canada or other countries.

Should marijuana become legal on the national level, marijuana companies would be free to list their stocks on all U.S. exchanges, thereby enhancing liquidity and opening up access to many more investors. Should the growth rates for the cannabis space continue as they have in recent years, it's likely that investors would express a keen interest in the industry.

Saved Money

When considering the economic benefits of legal marijuana, it's important to think of the money that might be saved as well as revenue that could be generated through such a process. Currently, federal marijuana enforcement costs several billion dollars per year. A 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union found that the costs at that time were approximately $3.6 billion per year.

The more states that legalize cannabis, the lower the cost of enforcement would likely be; if marijuana were to be legalized on a national level, these costs would likely drop considerably. If marijuana were removed from the list of controlled substances, far fewer court cases involving the substance would go to trial, resulting in fewer incarcerations, and, in turn, more money saved.

Legalized marijuana also stands to benefit medical consumers of cannabis-based products. As marijuana becomes legal in more and more parts of the country, it's likely that the price will drop overall as a result of commoditization. This may not immediately seem like good news for overall tax revenue or for marijuana companies looking to maximize profits. However, individuals utilizing marijuana-based products for medical treatment would stand to benefit considerably from lower prices for these items.

How Many States Have Legalized Marijuana?

As of May 2022, 18 states have legalized the personal use of marijuana. In addition, 37 states have legalized the medical use of marijuana.

How Much Money Are States Collecting in Marijuana Tax Revenue?

In 2021, the states that legalized marijuana for personal consumption generated $3.7 billion. This revenue does not include city revenue or proceeds distributed to smaller municipalities.

What Is the Economic Impact of Legalizing Marijuana?

States that legalize marijuana have recognized various economic benefits. There are direct tax proceeds generated for the state. States employ thousands of employees of oversee the production, distribution, and management of the sector. There are also potential savings to the legal enforcement of the industry if certain criteria are no longer considered illegal.

The Bottom Line

There is ample pushback against the idea of legalizing marijuana across the country. Critics cite the potential for confusion among law enforcement officers aiming to keep up with shifting regulations, a concern about increased homelessness or youth use of the substance, the potential for decreased property values, and much more. Some are opposed to changing the regulatory status of marijuana simply because it means a change to the status quo.

All of these reasons combine to decrease the likelihood that marijuana will become legal at a national level any time soon. However, as more and more states move to individually decriminalize pot use in various ways, and as the economic benefits of a legal marijuana industry take effect, there are also many compelling reasons to consider nationwide legalization.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Economic Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although the Presidential election drew most of the attention in November of 2020, there were several other important decisions made at the polls as well: notably, several states held votes to determine the future of the legal cannabis industry in one form or another.