Since the vote to legalize marijuana in Massachusetts for adult recreational use in 2016, the pot business has been booming.
The Cannabis Control Commission said Wednesday the licensed retailers in the state topped the $2 billion mark in sales since marijuana and related products were legalized. With those sales have come millions of dollars in tax revenue, something scores of cities and towns have welcomed because they voted to allow local recreational cannabis outlets or cultivation.
In announcing the cannabis sales figures, CCC Executive Director Shawn Collins said, “This milestone speaks to the success of licensees that have interacted with the commission from the application stage, maintained compliance with our strict regulations, and contribute every day to communities across the commonwealth.”
The Bay State is far from alone in voting to legalize and regulate marijuana production and sales. At last count, at least 37 states have either decriminalized and fully legalized cannabis sales, or permitted sales of medicinal marijuana. And the U.S. map shows just five states that still have laws making any marijuana use or possession illegal.
So what good has come from this booming Massachusetts industry? For one, it has to have weakened the black market for marijuana, since any adult with enough cash doesn’t have to drive far to buy cannabis products without fear of arrest or fines. And, in spite of the “Reefer Madness”-like predictions of some people who fought against legalizing pot, there hasn’t been a spike in crimes relating to marijuana. This isn’t to say there haven’t been cases of children ingesting cannabis edibles and ending up in the hospital. But cannabis is highly regulated and, like alcohol and firearms, requires adults to use common sense in educating and protecting children.
The other benefits? Besides tax revenue, the Cannabis Control Commission said the adult-use cannabis industry in the state included about 16,667 active employee registrations as of August. State House News Service reports that since 2018, the CCC has licensed 908 marijuana establishments in Massachusetts, including cultivators, product manufacturers, retailers, testing laboratories and couriers, and there are more retail and cultivation licenses in the pipeline.
Massachusetts residents don’t have to approve of legalized marijuana or condone its use, but it’s hard to deny the regulation of the industry, along with tax benefits for the state and municipalities, have made this a transparent and respectable industry.
