Medical marijuana has long garnered support from Americans, so that latest finding isn’t exactly a surprise. That helps explain why 24 states and D.C. have legalized marijuana for medical use, with Pennsylvania becoming the most recent state to approve that change. Six other states have pending legislation or ballot measures, while nine states saw legislation fail on the matter of medical marijuana this year.
All of this comes as the industry is poised to potentially see legal sales hit $6.7 billion this year. The trends of greater acceptance and higher sales, good news for any marijuana startups angling to earn big revenue, also are notable today as it is April 20. Also known as 4/20, this day is when cannabis aficionados honor their favorite plant.
The industry’s potential growth has lured a slew of startups and celebrities. One startup, MassRoots–a social network for cannabis users–earlier this month filed plans for a second time to launch an initial public offering on the Nasdaq in a bid to become the first in the space to go public. Actress and The View host Whoopi Goldberg and rapper Snoop Dogg are among the more vocal supporters from the media industry.
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Because it is a presidential election year, it is also important to be mindful of where the candidates stand. Their positions could affect policy, especially after President Obama earlier this year already indicated that marijuana reform would not be on the agenda for his final year in office.
The website Marijuana Policy Project gave out grades to the candidates based on their stated positions on the drug. Democrats earned the best grades, with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders scoring an “A” while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got a “B.” The three remaining Republicans–businessman Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich—all got various “C” grades.
