With the momentum toward cannabis legalization growing so rapidly, there are a lot of facts and figures to report each month. In this new series, Cannabis News by the Numbers, we’ll bring you the most hard-hitting, impressive numbers offered by the cannabis industry in that time frame. We’ll cover everything from economics, legislation, medical reports, survey statistics, and more. Each installment will feature a word cloud displaying the figures at a glance, but we’ll always be sure to deep-dive in the article, more fully explaining what each figure means and citing its source. We hope you enjoy!
For our first installment, we present the biggest numbers that surfaced between January 12th and January 20th. Look for our next installment coming in February!
The Numbers Explained
- 282 grow sites in Oregon produce for 11 or more patients, a 130% spike since 2012.
- 50,000 signatures were collected to assist a father facing criminal charges after administering cannabis to his young daughter, a cancer patient.
- 40 dispensaries are expected to open in Clark County, Nevada, in 2015.
- Colorado awards $8 million to cannabis research.
- NIDA increased research cannabis production from 21kg to 650kg.
- RAND Corporation finds that Vermont stands to make $20 – $75 million a year on cannabis taxes if they were to legalize the drug for recreational use.
- 31,000 lbs of legal Washington cannabis was produced in 2014. Less than 1/5 of the total amount grown has been sold in recreational stores as there are currently only 85 retail locations open. Recreational cannabis in Washington currently retails for $23-$25 per gram.
- 75% of online survey participants say cannabis improved their chronic pelvic pain.
- 92% of survey respondents say Texas should legalize marijuana.
- 20% of Rhode Islanders have smoked cannabis in the past year.
- 50% of Michigan voters support cannabis legalization.
- The legal cannabis market will be worth $10 billion by 2018.
- Extracts comprise 30% – 60% of the legal marketshare.
