The marijuana industry will contribute an estimated $90 billion to the US economy in 2022
Photo: AP (File)
As more US states legalize the use of cannabis, Americans spent more money last year on marijuana than on chocolates.
A new report from MJBiz, a business news outlet for professionals in the recreational and medical cannabis industry, reports that in 2022 sales of the psychoactive drug will surpass sales of chocolate. By 2023 MJBiz predicts that cannabis sales will exceed the amount of money spent in the US on craft beer, chocolates, chicken eggs, combined.
The same report predicts marijuana sales will exceed $33.5 billion this year, an increase of $4 billion from 2022. And by 2028, the industry will see sales reach $57 billion.
< p>MJBiz reports that the number of licensed marijuana businesses in the U.S. will top 165,000 this year.
In terms of overall economic impact, the marijuana industry contributed $90 billion to the US economy last year. This year, the market will reach $100.8 billion. And by 2028, it will have surpassed $170 billion.
Car accidents and sales at gas stations
It is also considered a matter of time before the sale of licensed marijuana at gas stations in Florida . Last year Circle K, a global gas station chain with a European arm, signed an agreement with Green Thumb Industries.
The partnership will begin this year and will initially be implemented in 10 of the company's 600 points of sale in the State, Green Thumb announced. “This could help marijuana become more mainstream,” comments Bloomberg Business.
Recreational cannabis use in four US states increased traffic deaths by 10%, according to a University of Illinois study. Chicago (UIC). The study looked at data from death certificates and compared death rates in states that legalized the use of recreational cannabis versus states that provided access only to the use of medical cannabis.
Researchers found a significant increase in traffic deaths in four of the seven states in the study legalized recreational cannabis use.
On average, recreational cannabis use was associated with a 10% increase in traffic deaths, UIC Today reported.
With information from Bloomberg, CNN
