31 / 55
H
State Legalization is Rising
—The number of
states that have legalized recreational marijua-
na use has risen from two in 2013 (Colorado
and Washington) to four today (Alaska and
Oregon now, too), plus the District of Colum-
bia. Nevada could become the fifth state when
voters consider a ballot initiative later this year.
California, too, is considering Proposition 64,
which would legalize the cultivation, possession
and use of marijuana for nonmedical purposes,
with certain restrictions, and impose a tax on
the growing and selling of medical and non-
medical marijuana.
More than half of the states (26) have legal-
ized medical marijuana.Other states have passed
laws allowing residents to possess cannabis oil
if they suffer from certain medical illnesses. A
number of states have also decriminalized the
possession of small amounts of marijuana. Nine
states in total will vote on medical or recreational
marijuana use in November.
H
More Americans Favor Legalization
—In 1969,
only 12 percent of Americans said they thought
that use of marijuana should be legal. That
number grew to 31 percent in 2000 and jumped
to 58 percent in 2015, according to Gallup
statistics. As for federal legalization, analysts
believe that it is not that far away. Nik Modi,
managing director at RBC Capital Markets,
recently predicted that it could be five to seven
years down the road.
H
Marijuana Use Could Surpass Cigarette Smoking
—
The Washington Post
’s Wonkblog analysis re-
ported in August that if Gallup’s 13 percent rate
for current marijuana use were applied to the
entire population, it would work out to be more
than 33 million adult marijuana users in the U.S.,
compared to about 40 million cigarette smokers,
based on CDC estimates. So potentially, “mari-
juana use could become more prevalent than
cigarette use in just a few years’ time,” as ciga-
rette smoking is in decline. The Wonkblog also
said that the likely factors driving the increase in
marijuana use include the increase in legal recre-
ational marijuana markets and decreased social
stigma surrounding marijuana use. National sur-
veys show that support for legal marijuana has
hovered at around 55-60 percent, while some
lawmakers have called for restrictions on mari-
juana to be relaxed at the federal level.
H
An Upscale Culture is Rising
—Events taking
place in Colorado andWashington are illustrat-
ing how cannabis is shedding its “stoner image”
and entertaining, literally, a more mainstream,
upscale culture. Marijuana products have been
More than half
of the states
(26) have
legalizedmedical
marijuana. Other
states have passed
laws allowing
residents to
possess cannabis
oil if they suffer
from certain
medical illnesses.
A number of
states have also
decriminalized
the possession of
small amounts of
marijuana.
Retailers like Veronica Ridenour, of Bucks
Smoke Shop in Hilliard, Ohio, are already doing a
booming business in cannabis accessories.
56
TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016