How Medical Marijuana Profits and Jobs Benefit Local Communities

As new industries are created, job opportunities explode. This is especially true when it comes to medical marijuana—and the cannabis product—market. Not only are jobs made, but the profits and taxes generated from medical marijuana benefit the state and the people therein. But how does it work? Let’s look into it.

To start, we need to ask a simple question: does the legalization of cannabis, whether medical, recreational or both, lead to a growth in employment opportunities? The quick answer is yes, it does. The longer answer is not any harder to understand. It is estimated that over 200,000 jobs have been created since medical marijuana and cannabis legalization began. That’s a ton of new jobs. For a nation that suffers from a hefty unemployment rate at times, 200,000 plus jobs is a great sign. And that’s just the beginning.

As more states adopt a rational stance on medical marijuana, more jobs will be made. It’s basic economics. Introduce a booming new industry and profits will be made. Positions common to the industry range from dispensary owners and clerks to the doctors who prescribe and promote cannabis, all the way up to the startups that seek to drive the industry. To put it plainly, we see new jobs from the bottom to the top. That’s huge.

The Hype Continues

Few industries have the hype that cannabis does at the moment. This is partly due to a maturing of opinions on the near lack of dangers associated with medical marijuana treatment. It’s also due to the general push in our nation for more holistic, natural medical treatments. We are tired of being used by the big pharmaceutical companies as testing dummies for their pills, companies such as BLANK that push opioids and are largely responsible for the opioid epidemic plaguing the United States. If natural, safe treatment options exist, you can safely bet where people will put their money and health. Enough is enough, and a greener era is underway. Not only is medical marijuana changing the way we look at our health, but it is changing how we pay our taxes (at least, for those in the industry).

This greener era is ripe with monetary growth and benefits. In 2017, there was an estimated $4.7 billion in tax collection from the marijuana industry across the country. Because it is federally illegal for cannabis companies to operate, it is hard to get a precise number. But that’s the estimation, and that is a ton of money. This does not include profit. The cash flow of the cannabis industry is easily in the billions, and this money does more good than opponents to legalized cannabis though possible.

Local economies see the most benefits. Firstly, local law enforcement spending is lessened once you eliminate the bogey man of marijuana. There are fewer cannabis-related crimes because the plant and products are legal. This leads the police to waste less time going after growers and dealers, and it opens the door for more productive policing. We also believe that as the shift of opinion towards cannabis pushes further to the side of acceptance, the police may retain some of the slipping public trust as they lessen their zealous war against freedom (read: the War on Drugs).

Further, the taxes generated by cannabis are put back into the local economies. We see this in Colorado where not only are home values going up but public schools are benefiting. The sales taxes go towards funding programs of anti-bullying, literacy, health programs, and more. This is a massive implication that shows that the legalization of cannabis does more good than harm.

The Fight Moves On

As the nation moves forward in these perilous and often dark times, we must remain focused on what matters, namely, the movement towards a better and more tolerant future for everyone. This includes supporting programs that will enhance the lives of the citizens. Support the industries that will grow our economies, give us jobs, and offer us natural healing, healing not in the form of an addictive pill.