Recreational Marijuana Statistics 2018 |
Posted: December 3, 2018 |
In 2018 there are 9 states that either currently have recreational marijuana available to the general public or will soon have it available. These states currently are Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, Massachusetts, Washington, Vermont, and Oregon. This means that in each of these states people who are over the legal age of 21 can go to local dispensaries and purchase marijuana legally. There are many states in which medical marijuana is still a possibility for those who are eligible, but recreationally it is only available in 9 states. <h2>6 in Every 10 Americans Support Legalizing Marijuana</h2> In a recent study publicized on October 8th, 2018, a reported amount of approximately 6 in every 10 Americans (technically 62%) believe that recreational marijuana should be legalized. This is a huge deal in the context of a country that has been divided on such an issue for an incredibly long, largely due to generational differences. Of course, this is keeping in mind that the overall percentages of generations that believe marijuana should be legalized are much different, with Baby Boomers having 54%, Gen Xers having 63%, and Millennials having 74%. This is likely due to the rising popularity of marijuana-related studies showing its health benefits. <h2>The Scientific Name For Marijuana is "Cannabis sativa"</h2> The scientific name for marijuana is also the botanical name of "Cannabis sativa", something that is frequently referenced in more casual names for the drug. For example, some people refer to marijuana as cannabis on principle, making it one of the most popular nicknames for the drug. <h2>Legal Sales Could Reach $22 Billion by 2022</h2> The popularity of marijuana in legal states is growing exponentially each year with more dispensaries opening and more people over the designated legal age partaking. In fact, authorities are estimating that the amount of marijuana sales in legal states will continue to grow by over 27% per year from now until 2022. This is incredibly shocking especially given the 2017 statistic of legal sales totaling $6.6 billion. If the sales continue to rise as much as the as it is estimated, the overall legal marijuana sales would reach $22 billion by the year of 2022. This is an incredibly shocking statistic as it represents an industry that is continuing to grow exponentially, even hypothetically growing 3 times as large in only a period of 5 years time. <h2>There Are Currently 40,334 Occupational Licenses in Colorado</h2> Since legalizing recreational marijuana, the state of Colorado has enjoyed a healthy amount of sales at dispensaries. On top of this, the cultural acceptance of the drug has also increased, with more people being accepting and understanding of those who use the drug. However, just because the drug is legal, this does not mean that anybody can simply begin selling recreational marijuana. In the same way that you need a liquor license, selling recreational marijuana depends on having a proper occupational license. Many people originally got these types of licenses when the drug was first legalized, but the renewal rate was less high in 2017 with only 32% of businesses renewing their licenses. That being said, though, there are still 40,334 occupational licenses currently active in Colorado, a large number when compared with other states of comparable size. <h2>45% of 12th Graders Who Try Marijuana Are Likely to Have A Lifetime Habit</h2> According to a study conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH), people who try marijuana in their adolescent years are more likely to develop lifelong habits of using the drug. This is exemplified by the statistic that 45% of 12th graders who try marijuana eventually develop a lifelong habit. This statistic makes sense due to the ability for marijuana to affect the brains of adolescents, largely due to their brains not being fully developed until they reach the age of 21 (the current legal age requirement in states that allow recreational marijuana).
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