Judy: The push for legalizing
marijuana at the state level
gained more momentum in 2022.
This fall, for example, Missouri
approved legalization for
recreational use, making it the
21st state to do so.
To get a sense of the changing
picture across the country, I
spoke recently with our
communities correspondents about
this.
Gabrielle Hayes in Missouri,
Adam Kemp in Ohio and Francis
kai-hwa Wong in Michigan.
I started by asking gabby about
the key elements of the new law
in Missouri.
Gabrielle: It is important to
know that back in November, this
amendment passed with 53% of
people voting yes.
It establishes a lot of things.
First and foremost, we know that
it establishes a lottery
process where that will sort of
be the mechanism for people
being able to be awarded
licenses.
We know that those who already
have medical marijuana licenses
will kind of get first dibs for
being able to sell as early as
next year.
The amendment also establishes a
6% tax, so the state has already
estimated that they believe or
expect to see as much as $40
million being generated annually
from this amendment going into
effect.
With that money -- what that
money is going to be used for
various.
One thing of note that a lot of
people have been talking about
is the process of expungement.
The amendment allows for people
with certain nonviolent
marijuana offenses to have their
records expunged into a petition
for release.
Those are some of the key
things.
Everything from taxes to what
the money will be used for and
what is in the legislation.
Judy: You were telling us
different reactions around the
state.
Tell us how state and local
leaders are weighing in on this.
Gabrielle: We have had some
mixed reactions across the
state.
There are a lot of people who
have come out for the amendment,
a lot of people who supported
it, including Kansas City,
Missouri, mayor Quentin Lucas,
who said he would vote yes for
it but on the other side of the
state in Sanders, we have mayor
Jones who is for legalization
but brought up the point of
equity and wanting it to be an
equitable process.
Judy: Let's turn to Adam in
Oklahoma.
We know Oklahoma legalized
medical marijuana four years ago
in 2018.
Tell us a little bit about the
impact that has had and where
things go from here in Oklahoma.
Adam: Oklahoma has experienced a
bit of a green rush in the years
since medical marijuana was
legalized.
More than 7000 grow operations
have popped up here in the state
and 2600 dispensaries which is
more than California and
Colorado have combined.
That is due in large part to the
very low start up costs
it takes to obtain your
marijuana business license in
Oklahoma.
It is $2500 in the state
compared to Arkansas, just for
example, it's $100,000 to start
it.
All that said, Oklahoma in March
is going to have a statewide
question about whether to
legalize recreational marijuana.
Right now, it is just business
is booming in Oklahoma for
marijuana.
Judy: I follow Oklahoma
politics.
I was born in the state.
We know it has been fairly
conservative politically.
Has there been pushback to the
law from the governor or the
state lawmakers?
Adam: Governor Stitt inherited
the passage of medical
marijuana.
He became governor as it was
past so he has spoken a lot
about the need to kinda find
tune the system and everything
and he has said that he himself
personally opposes recreational
marijuana and will personally
vote against it but this is a
state question so if it passes,
it will become the law of the
land.
The rest of the state seems to
be very onboard board with
recreational marijuana.
It is polling right now very
well.
It is ahead of, you know, the no
vote at the moment, and it's
also probably the best show of
its popularity in the state,
more than 10% of all oklahomans
have a medicinal marijuana
license.
Judy: It is so interesting about
what has happened there.
I want to turn to Michigan.
Francis, we know Michigan
approved medical marijuana in
2008 and recreational marijuana
10 years later in 2018.
How has that been going?
Francis: Michigan is the fourth
largest mariju market in
the country.
In the first 11 months of 2022,
Michigan has already had $2.1
billion in medical and adult use
recreational marijuana sales.
Economists estimate that once
the industry is fully set up and
mature, cannabis will be a $3
billion industry, bringing in
$500 million in state taxes per
year, creating 24,000 jobs up
and down the supply chain, and
having a total economic impact
of $7.85 billion.
Judy: You were telling us the
cannabis industry is facing some
challenges going forward.
Francis: Although marijuana is
legal at the state level,
because it remains a schedule
one controlled substance and is
illegal at the federal level,
many financial institutions are
unwilling to risk working with
cannabis businesses so legal
cannabis businesses have to find
local banks and credit unions
willing to work with them.
Judy: Really interesting.
So much more going on than most
of us certainly realized around
the country.
So good to have these reports
from the three of you.
Francis, Adam, and gabby, thank