Already, hundreds of thousands of people are employed through the cultivation and sale of legal cannabis, representing more jobs than in coal, textiles, or breweries. 

As public support for reform surges and the U.S. legal cannabis industry continues to mature, New Frontier Data has been tracking the impact which legalization has had on both jobs and taxes in each legal state across the nation. The results – and forecasts informed by them – are now available in the 2019 edition of Cannabis in the U.S. Economy: Jobs, Growth & Tax Revenue.

With 11 states allowing adult-use access to cannabis, and 33 states permitting medical access, more than 68% of the U.S. population has access to legal cannabis in some form. It is driving economic growth in many states, through agricultural development via cultivation, manufacturing development through processing or edibles production, and in the retail sector.

In anticipation of the upcoming 2020 election season, the consensus thinking is that more expansive cannabis-reform policies may become a key topic of discussion for candidates seeking to differentiate themselves, especially for those who recognize the potential impact of full federal legalization out in front of concerns about any coming recession.

Read the full article: https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/the-business-of-cannabis-u-s-federal-legalization-could-translate-to-128-8-billion-in-taxes-and-1-6-million-jobs