Contributor: Kyle Clark
Marijuana legalization has always been a “hot button” issue, with both sides of the argument standing steadfast in their ways. Which, to be fair, is commonplace with such discussions.
On one end of the spectrum rests the conservatives. These folks on Capitol Hill are often archaic and far too stubborn to ever go against rules that were set eons ago. They feel, for one reason or another, that a law should always remain intact – with zero chance of adaptation – regardless of how misguided, outdated, or harmful it may be. In short, their lack of malleability is the reason behind the numerous speed bumps that marijuana activists and advocates have had to endure throughout the years.
Located on the opposite end of the argument are like-minded, rational, incredibly logical marijuana enthusiasts. These passionate people are more than aware of the positive aspects that legalizing this harmless plant (and its various mediums) would bring along with it.
Not only would it help literally millions of citizens get the therapeutic care and relief they so desperately need – but it would eliminate a large portion of the criminal sales that are currently plaguing many states and cities where marijuana is deemed illegal and against the law.
That said, the only thing these conservatives would need to do is look at the laundry list of states that have legalized cannabis. Within seconds, their once-staunch anti-weed stances would flip the moment they realize just how much money can be made through legalization. Truly, the numbers are large enough to win over even the most stuck-up conservative politician.
Many can readily recall the mountains of success that states like Colorado and Washington have enjoyed. These two are just a couple examples of how legalization can turn an entire state’s infrastructure and budget around – and it happens far quicker than any other route that was previously tread upon in hopes of gaining some financial revenue.
The conservatives in this argument need to do what they hate the most: compromise.
They feel like this sort of legislative move would do nothing but hurt the economy and society, as a whole. Those fears are without merit. There is absolutely no reason to think that way whatsoever. It is these morons in D.C. who still see cannabis as a “gateway drug” and not the beneficial, non-addictive medicine that it actually is. All of those previously held notions would evaporate instantly – if they ever took the time to sincerely crunch the numbers.
Many would assume California would be amongst the top, as far as revenue through the legalization of cannabis is concerned – and they wouldn’t be wrong. Some of the most impressive monetary numbers are coming out of Nevada – specifically Clark County. Which, for those unaware, is the home of the popular tourist destination known as, Las Vegas.
Since legalizing marijuana, Las Vegas has been swimming in seas of cannabis-related revenue. Last year, at this very same time period, the popular Sin City county reported earnings nearing the $530 million dollar mark. Which, as one can already assume, is a massive help to their economy. But, what if I told you that that number got even bigger this year?
Well, you may want to take a seat, because not only did that impressive figure get larger, it increased by 20%! That is right, marijuana sales in this gamble-friendly state came in at a whopping $639 million this fiscal year. 80% of those aforementioned THC transactions wrapped up at the end of June. On top of that, the amount earned from the required local, state, and federal taxes was almost $100 million dollars.
Now, I am no accountant, but there’s a whole lot of millions being earned in Nevada, that otherwise would have never found its way into the hands of this casino-laden state. That is in no way a bad thing. In fact, if I had to guess, I would assume all the lawmakers in Nevada are kicking themselves for not legalizing cannabis even sooner. With this sort of sky-high fiscal year, there are now a bunch of different ways they will be able to use these new funds to improve their state.
It is no secret that Las Vegas is one of the more popular places to visit in the states. More than that, the average tourist that vacations to this desert oasis is usually prone to “let their hair down” more than in any other location. By that I mean, they like to embrace the wealth of alcohol and gambling options that this immensely popular city makes available to them. However, in years past, the average visitor was still too timid to actually pull the trigger on procuring some legal cannabis. The whole ordeal was intimidating, and many out-of-towners were unaware of the laws surrounding cannabis use.
With everything out in the open nowadays, and cannabis becoming more and more accepted with each passing month, the number of tourists purchasing buds from city-approved cannabis clubs has continued to rise.
When asked to speak on just such an occurrence, the director of the Nevada Dispensary Association, Riana Durrett said that both visitors and citizens are “becoming more comfortable purchasing cannabis.” That sentiment is more than apparent in these mind-blowingly large numbers that are being reported from the army of dispensaries that currently find themselves scattered throughout the state.
Even with these astronomical earnings, there are still some illegal businesses that are continuing to take funds away from these hard-working, government-approved establishments. The best way to combat that is to construct even more reputable dispensaries in the state – specifically in counties that are yet to have a dispensary or cannabis club to call their own. Once those brick-and-mortar locations are set in place, the desire to go the “illegal” route to pick up some bud will seem like an unnecessary risk.
That said, the only way that can happen is if the state courts start to approve provisional licenses to these people who wish to open dispensaries. Last December, Nevada took a huge leap in the right direction by allowing 61 different licenses to be approved. However, due to some “less than favorable” tactics taken in the initial phases of these licenses, a judge issued a temporary injunction on the license approvals, until things get cleared up.
But it is not as critical as some anticipated. To elaborate further on the ruling, District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez explained that any person who had already gone through the background check process, could proceed as usual. For those who hadn’t reached that part of the procedure at this point, they are required to halt their business moves until the courts can figure out a more legitimate way to go about approving retail marijuana licenses going forward.
While there will always be room for improvement in the realm of legalized cannabis, it is clear that Nevada is on the right path. With even more money planned to find its way into the state’s budget by the end of the year, there is really no telling just how profitable legalized cannabis can actually be.
If anything, this state, along with every other one that proudly allows its citizens to enjoy marijuana in a legal fashion, will serve as a rich example to all those conservatives who are currently stuck in their anti-weed ways. But, as I alluded to above, once these money-hungry politicians see how much cash they are missing out on, they will likely flip sides and legalize cannabis nationwide.
Or, at the very least, that is what we are hoping for. I suppose only time will tell.
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