Marijuana Sales A Cash $$ Cow to States

I was just blown away to find out that marijuana the semi-legal business generated $5.7 billion in sales last year to local governments. Plus tens of thousands of people working and paying taxes as they package and sell marijuana for the states. Meaning more jobs and less unemployment for citizens.

Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, the state of Washington and Washington DC have legalized adult recreational use of marijuana.

In addition 23 states and the District of Columbia permit some form of medical use.

The irony is that Federally marijuana remains an illegal drug.
It is a schedule 1 controlled substance at the Federal level.

Legally this means that you can be federally prosecuted for possessing marijuana even though if you live in say Colorado for example it’s perfectly legal to use marijuana there.

Go figure. How can that be?

Pittsburgh wrongful death, medical malpractice, slip and fall, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully will leave that question for another day.

Today’s blog is about how the states did not figure out long ago that legalizing marijuana can be a cash cow ?

We saw the same thing earlier with states legalizing gambling.

Casinos sprang up in just about every state of the union. Why was that?

Again because the gambling business is a cash cow for state governments.

So legally the question becomes what about the other 46 states?

When are they going to legalize marijuana? Probably as soon government leaders in those states realize that marijuana sales are booming and regulating marijuana in the state can become big business and a cash cow to those states.

It gets better.
By 2020 adults using recreational and medical marijuana sales is expected to reach $23 billion.
Think about that.

$23 billion in extra income for the states. And all without having to raise your taxes.

So Pittsburgh wrongful death, medical malpractice, slip and fall, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully once again asks the question why has it taken states so long to catch on to the marijuana gravy train?

Where do you come down on this issue?

Do you still have reservations about marijuana becoming a recreational drug and legal in your state? If so are you willing to forgo lower taxes by sticking to your principles?

There is no easy answer to this legal dilemma.

But it sure is hard to argue with the huge amount of sales and money marijuana is bringing in to the states.

Anyway that’s way I look at it.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading.

Bernie the attorney.