With the upcoming Presidential Elections picking up support on the protection of MMJ, our society has finally started to feel more comfortable expressing their own support (or lack thereof) with legalizing Marijuana. Let’s face it, we’re amidst the next great prohibition era, and when legal test markets like Colorado start to bring in MILLIONS of dollars, people tune in. So, where do you stand? Well, here are some statistics to factor in when finding your place in the new “Wild Wild West.”
A recent Pew research poll shows that about seven-in-ten Americans believe alcohol is more harmful to a person’s health than marijuana. That’s basically 70% of us. In a more recent poll, 44% of Americans say they have tried marijuana – nearly half of the country. People weren’t always so open to pot, or maybe they just weren’t so open about discussing it. The same Gallup poll, given in 1969, showed a mere 4% of Americans having admitted to trying marijuana at least once. So we have to ask, is it just more acceptable for society to voice their opinion, or have the new studies and statistics given our generation a more comfortable platform to experiment with the flower?
The agenda seems clearer when we look at what Colorado, one of our first real test subjects, produced in its first year run. First of all, Colorado’s demand for recreational pot is equal to about 38 million “eighths.” Think that’s a lot? How about 23% of the state’s population contributes to its daily purchases and medicate at least once per day. Great for Colorado, right? Yeah, but it’s even better for tourism. An incredible 90% of recreational pot sales are made by out-of-state tourists at shops in mountain resort communities. If you though the slopes brought in the bank for Colorado, you were wrong.
Now, let’s get to the fun part. Colorado brought in more than $573 million in both recreational and medicinal sales in ONLY 10 months. That’s over 60 million in cash paid to the government through taxes. Now, just imagine what the other 49 can do.
