William Brangham:
At the same time, the financial windfalls have been significant. Legal marijuana sales in 2018 are estimated between $8 billion and $10 billion nationally. Analysts predict that could reach $30 billion in five years. That's generated over $1 billion in tax revenue last year, though, in places like California, revenues fell well short of expectations.
And, by and large, the new money makes up only a fraction of states' general funds. But the retail market is booming. In Colorado, there are more than 1,000 medical and recreational stores. That's more than McDonald's and Starbucks combined.
Buying pot in these places is fairly straightforward. You have to be 21 years and older. Visitors must show I.D., sign in, and you are recorded by cameras. Customers are served by licensed staff, who help them make choices among the many different types of smokable marijuana.
Or, if they prefer, there's a dizzying array of THC-infused chocolates, candies, sodas, even creams to soothe aching muscles. In the end, it's not that different from buying a bottle of wine at your local liquor store.
Yet, amid this boom, there are still significant questions. Marijuana laws and regulations vary state by state. Because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, many problems remain. National banks, for instance, are wary of handling this business. So many pot businesses still operate cash-only.
The marijuana grown and sold today is also far more potent and now far more available than it used to be. And that's raised some public health concerns.
Researchers warn of a rise in what's called marijuana use disorder, where chronic use of the drug often negatively impacts a user's life. Some states have also seen an increase in cases of driving under the influence of marijuana. Marijuana-related hospital visits are also up, though most cases involve someone smoking or eating too much, which resolves pretty quickly.
In some states that legalized, the number of underage users went up, but, in others, it didn't.
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