Cannabis Legalization Explodes During the Pandemic

While many of us were hunkered down in our homes during the pandemic – somewhat unaware of the goings-on around us in others states – cannabis legalization seemed to virtually explode across the United States.

In late 2020, New Jersey, South Dakota, Arizona, and Montana all approved legal recreational use of cannabis, while Mississippi approved medical. In 2021, 31 states approved medical use, joining 19 others already signing medical into law – with 11 for recreational.

Tom Angell, who monitors cannabis legalization for news site Marijuana Moment says, “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of legalization bills being filed across the country with more and more of them actually being prioritized by legislative leaders and signed into law by governors who are up for re-election.”

The growth of cannabis legalization, and politicians looking to capitalize on the publicity, is no surprise given the recent development of the industry.

“Americans purchased $18.3 billion in cannabis products over the past calendar year, $7.6 billion more than the $10.7 billion in sales the previous year,” according to the cannabis-focused Leafly in a recent report.

The industry’s incredible growth is no doubt related to the pandemic, which was confirmed by a survey conducted by Verilife (a marijuana dispensary). 72% of survey respondents said Covid was a significant cause of stress in their lives, with 40% finding relief through cannabis products.

Additionally, the acceptance of cannabis throughout society aids in removing the negative stigma that’s so often been attached to the drug. A Pew Research Center survey finds that around nine in ten Americans favor some form of cannabis legalization (91% of adults) for both medical and recreational use.

It’s doubtful these new customers will be leaving the industry any time soon as a report from New Frontier Data projects the legal marijuana industry in just the United States alone will dramatically increase to $41.5 billion by 2025, an annual growth rate of 21% from 2019.

All that translates into an excellent need for wholesale growing containers to satisfy the market’s insatiable appetite for everything cannabis-related. The HC Companies has a full line of cannabis growing containers designed to fit your unique growing needs.

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