The Popularity Keeps Growing
What started in the 1960’s with the countercultural generation has now become a national movement by mainstream society to legalize cannabis.
In the 1960’s, it was believed that only criminals, bohemians and outsiders used cannabis. But today, the plant is being widely used by athletes, educators, lawyers, doctors, and everyone in between.
The stats agree that cannabis consumption is more accepted than ever before. As of June 2022 medical cannabis is legal in 38 states, while recreational cannabis legal in 19. Even those who don’t use cannabis products tend to be in favor of legalization. A Cannabis Culture Poll done by PSB shows that 72% of American adults believe cannabis can be used as medicine. Over 80% of adults believe in one form of cannabis legalization or another. That’s well over twice the support cannabis got 20 years ago.
Why is cannabis becoming so normalized? Possibly because the average cannabis user now looks surprisingly…normal. Cannabis consumers take the form of responsible parents, full-time employees, business owners, and dedicated athletes. They’re often registered to vote, forward-thinking, well-educated, and healthy. Many of these consumers use cannabis to help them become more active — not less. Suffice to say that the stereotypes of decades past have clearly been proven false!
The government is preaching normalized cannabis consumption, too. Once a pretty staunch opponent to any and all forms of cannabis use, the US Attorney General now stresses that prosecuting cannabis-related infractions is a waste of law enforcement resources and seeks to deschedule cannabis. Feeling empowered by the support of the public, even ‘conservative’ politicians are now jumping on the cannabis bandwagon.
Cannabis consumption also looks more diverse than it used to. Long gone are the days of having to buy brick weed on the underground market. Today most Americans have access to medical cannabis dispensaries, recreational dispensaries, or both. In addition to ‘regular’ delta-9 products, they also have access to CBN, CBD, CBDa, and more. In addition to smokeable products, consumers can easily get their hands on chocolates, other edibles, topicals, pain patches, and infused wine and beer!
Another aspect of all this momentum? The cannabis industry is larger and more profitable than ever before. US cannabis sales are projected to reach 250 billion dollars by 2025. That’s bigger than today’s cigarette industry. The average cannabis user spends about $100 a month on their favorite products. With all this money comes more lobbying power.
Yet some groups of cannabis consumers remain underserved. A significant number of people — some estimates say 40,000! — are still serving time in prison for cannabis-related offenses they made when cannabis was illegal. These early adopters and entrepreneurs are essentially ‘locked out’ of today’s bustling legal market. The Black and brown community has been particularly susceptible to these trends.
Here’s to hoping that change is in the near future! At House of Kush we’re devoted to doing our part by committing to community, cooperation, and social equity.
