$32, 000 a year.
5,400 lbs.
4 billion dollars invested.
What do all of these numbers have in common? They are all from recent stories surrounding developments in the cannabis sector. It is without a doubt that the cannabis industry is rolling in the green, and some research groups have estimated that the legal American cannabis market could be worth more than $35 billion by 2020.
One of the most recent developments regarding the green to be seen on the green scene comes from Constellation Brands. If you’re a fan of Corona, this company’s name may ring a bell. This is because Constellation Brands is the parent company of Corona, and it just made a bold move by investing nearly 4 billion dollars in the cannabis space.
Many individuals are not aware that there is actually cannabis grown by the United States government every year despite the plant being federally illegal. The University of Mississippi has been growing cannabis for the federal government for research purposes for many decades. In fact, for many years, several individuals were receiving monthly shipments of pre-rolled cannabis joints each month, and there are still a few that do today despite the federal government’s classification of cannabis as an illegal substance.
In a recent development, the DEA announced that they would be requesting that the US government more than quadruple the amount of cannabis that is grown for research purposes in the United States each year. They are requesting that starting in 2019 that the federal government grows at least 5400 lbs of the sticky icky to research further.
$32,500. This could buy a house. This could buy 10 or more used cars. This is double some people’s yearly salary. This is also how much it would cost to utilize Epidiolex to treat epilepsy for one year. The United States federal government is holding a firm stance when it comes to keeping cannabis illegal in the country. This has not stopped them however from approving a pharmaceutical company backed cannabis-based epilepsy drug. They continue to criminalize cannabis and deny people the right to grow it and utilize it for medical purposes, yet they will approve a pharmaceutical company to bring the drug to market and charge people thousands of dollars every year. Cannabis oil can be produced at home easily and provide the same effects and results as this drug for a minute fraction of the cost.
These are just some of the numbers being thrown around in the cannabis space currently. While some of these developments show you just how far we have come regarding cannabis, it also shows you just how much the government is yearning to try to keep control of this natural plant that every human being should have legal and safe access to.
Article courtesy of Expert Joints. Written by AshleyP from CannaLance (Canna-Lance.com, @CannaLance, @MJWriter87)