2021 is already looking up compared to 2020, but even more so in the Cannabis industry. 2020 brought about the opportunity for Cannabis to take the stage as an essential business. People are beginning to realize the many benefits legal Cannabis offers. The growing industry has created over 300,000 full-time equivalent jobs nationwide, 77,300 of which were added in the last year alone. Washington state accounts for almost 20,000 of those jobs. Washington state’s marijuana tax income for the 2019 fiscal year was $395.5 million. This makes marijuana excise taxes the fastest-growing component of the state’s general and selective sales tax revenue streams, according to a study from WSU.
On February 15, Washington state lawmakers advanced Cannabis even more, when a panel of lawmakers voted to decriminalize it for personal use. This vote marked the first time a panel of lawmakers in any U.S. state has voted to remove criminal penalties for possession of all drugs. Another advancement on the way is Washington State House Bill 1019, which is gaining momentum and would allow anyone over 21 to grow up to 6 plants.
But Washington isn’t the only state in which Cannabis is coming up. Many other states are following suit, and the federal government doesn’t appear to be far behind. Three Democratic senators have announced they will introduce legislation this year to remove marijuana from a nationwide list of prohibited drugs. If this passed, it would make it legal for all adults in the United States to use marijuana recreationally.
2021 also marks the year of the first Cannabis Cultural Center in the state of Washington. Stay tuned for more information on the grand opening, and be sure to stop in to learn more about Cannabis, the history of Cannabis, and how it continues to be a growing trend nationwide.
Sources
Senate Democrats Plan on Moving to Legalize Marijuana Later This Year
Bill allowing homegrown marijuana gains momentum in Washington state Legislature
Washington Lawmakers Approve Drug Decriminalization Bill In Committee Vote
Legal cannabis adds $2 billion to Wash. state economy, report finds
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