Adult access to cannabis continues to grow across the country. Currently, 238 million citizens (over 72% of the population) live in the 37 states with legal access to medical or adult-use cannabis. When legal hemp-based (CBD) markets are included, the number of total states increases to 47.

Nine out of 10 U.S. adults support legalization in some form, according to a 2021 Pew survey; 60% of respondents said cannabis should be legal for medical and recreational use, while 31% support allowing medical cannabis exclusively.

The U.S. cannabis market size was valued at $10.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.9% from 2022 to 2030. The increasing legalization of cannabis and rising acceptance of its use for medical purposes are the key factors driving the growth of the market.

There are over 50 million cannabis consumers in the U.S. Millennials (classed as ages 23 to 38), make up the majority of all legal sales. The remaining generations are buying less:

Generation X (39 to 54): 25.7%
Baby boomers (55 to 73): 15.8%
Generation Z (>23): 5.9%
Silent generation (74+): 1.0%

Cannabis legalization has proven to be a net positive for law enforcement and public safety. Legalized cannabis gives law enforcement agencies the freedom to devote more resources and effort to more serious and dangerous public safety threats. A legal cannabis market will erode the influence of the illicit market and our law enforcement will be able to effectively focus on violent crimes and theft to better protect our families and communities. While some policing of legal cannabis will still be necessary, the focus will shift from “possession” to “responsible use” by adults over the age of 21, just like alcoholic beverages.

Where legal adult-use cannabis markets have been in place for multiple years, “states that have experienced a significant increase in the total number of authorized medical cannabis users have in general experienced no proportional corresponding rise in traffic fatalities, and most have experienced a decline in overall fatal accidents,” according to NORML. In those states, cannabis consumption is held to the same standard as alcoholic beverage consumption.

The plant species is cannabis sativa L. Both marijuana and hemp are varieties of cannabis. Marijuana (although the term is fading from the vernacular in favor of simply using “cannabis”) is legally defined as containing greater than 0.3% delta-9 THC. Products made with hemp—like cannabidiol (CBD) extracts and delta-8 THC (which is a derivative of CBD oil)—contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC by weight. Hemp production and processing is regulated by the Office of Indiana State Chemist.

Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. State governments have increasingly moved forward on their own to realize the enormous public health and economic benefits that legal cannabis markets provide. In 2021, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called out the disparity, writing: “Once comprehensive, the Federal Government’s current approach is a half-in, half-out regime that simultaneously tolerates and forbids local use of marijuana. … A prohibition on intrastate use or cultivation of marijuana may no longer be necessary or proper to support the Federal Government’s piecemeal approach.” 

Since legal adult-use sales began in 2014, states have generated over $8 billion in sales tax revenue, averaging over $1 billion annually.

The legalization of cannabis is a significant positive step toward social and economic justice. Minorities have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis arrests for decades. Nationally, Black Americans are more than 3.6 times as likely to be arrested than Whites for possession of cannabis despite comparable usage rates, according to the ACLU. In Indiana, that number is 3.5 times, and 45% of all drug arrests are for cannabis. Legalization of cannabis in Indiana would free our law enforcement officers to devote greater attention to crimes of violence and theft. Our communities would be safer and public concern for legal fairness toward minority groups would be addressed.

Cannabis legalization has had both an economic benefit to states by reducing healthcare expenditures and it has also helped reduce opioid mortality rates. Cannabis access reduces healthcare expenditures at the state level by as much as 10%, which would translate to a $590 million annual reduction in prescription expenditures for Indiana. If Indiana follows the pattern seen in other states, expanding access to cannabis would reduce lives lost to opioids by 298 citizens each year.

Michigan and Illinois have fully legalized cannabis. Ohio has legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes and decriminalized cannabis possession. Indiana is surrounded by legal access to cannabis, but does not enjoy the public health benefits or the economic benefits of tax revenue generation, supporting small businesses, and job growth. It is common knowledge that Indiana residents regularly travel in every direction across state lines to gain legal access to cannabis. The states surrounding Indiana are building their industry infrastructure for future competitive advantage when the inevitable occurs: federal legalization of cannabis.

Absolutely. In California, there has been well-documented economic growth and benefits under its legalization programs. But the state has also missed out on additional growth (and is hurting its own legal market) with draconian regulations and required licensing of new distribution channels. Indiana and other states considering legalization can sidestep the pitfalls seen in California by licensing and utilizing existing specialty CBD and hemp-based retail outlets to more quickly realize tax revenue gains, rather than slowing the process through the requirement of unnecessary new retail channels.

A September 2021 statewide survey among 600 voters found overwhelming support for legalization of cannabis for adult-use and medicinal purposes:

• 64% supported legalized cannabis vs. only 24% who oppose
• Support extends across political parties: 72% of Democrats in favor; 67% of Independents; and 52% of Republicans
• Support is also strong across the state: 65% in Indianapolis; 61% in Evansville / Terre Haute; 64% in Ft. Wayne; and 60% in South Bend, with 69% across the rest of the state
• Among those very concerned about crime, 57% support cannabis legalization vs. 35% who oppose
• Among those who attend church regularly, 58% support vs. 34% who oppose
• Among those who oppose legalization, the survey found 52% would still support it for medicinal purposes
• 71% support user fees on legal cannabis vs. only 13% who support raising other taxes