The Bengal Bite 🐯 | Cannabis Momentum | September 18, 2020
Popular support for cannabis continues to rise, making it an important issue at the ballot box in a number of states this November. As the electorate prepares to head to the polls, the “momentum of cannabis” continues to build as the industry proves to be a significant job creator that is popular across a wide range of the demographic spectrum.
The Bengal Capital Team
The legal cannabis industry is creating a new workforce amidst the pandemic
Cannabis remains one of the fastest growing industries in the United States with employment predicted to reach 300,000 by the end of 2020 (making cannabis as large as the beverage industry). At a time when some industries are struggling to stay afloat, the cannabis industry continues to hire. Read more on the cannabis workforce in Forbes here.
Legalization prominent in 2020 election
The election on Nov. 3, 2020 is unlikely to best 2016 in terms of new cannabis markets, but efforts spent pushing for cannabis reform were not wasted. The five states expected to expand cannabis access represent significant growth in the total legal U.S. market, especially New Jersey with its sizable adult population of 6.7 million. Read more on how the legal cannabis landscape might change this fall in this BDSA blog post.
Reliving high times? Marijuana use on the rise in older adults
Reflecting the changing attitudes towards cannabis across the US, cannabis use is on the rise among baby boomers. A University of Massachusetts study demonstrates that use of cannabis increased in older adults in both the states where marijuana has been legalized for recreational use and in the states where it has not. Read more on the diversifying face of the cannabis consumer in NBC News here.
Study: Vaping-related lung illnesses much lower in states with legal cannabis
A recently published Yale study shows that the five earliest states to legalize recreational cannabis – Alaska, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington – all had less than one case of vaping-related lung illness per 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, states that do not allow recreational cannabis – Utah, North Dakota, Minnesota, Delaware, and Indiana – had the highest numbers of vaping-related illnesses. Read more in MJBiz Daily here.
UFC and E-Sports fans consume more cannabis than other sports fans
While the “beer and brat” might be a classic sports combo, a Morning Consult poll shows that E-Sports and UFC fans are probably equally likely to grab some flower, vape, or their favorite edible (and maybe a bag of Funyuns!). E-Sports and UFC are rapidly growing sports that are popular with college-educated millennial men, a coveted consumer segment. Read more which sports are the most popular in Ganjapreneur here.
