More red states are going wild for weed

When liberal states like California, Washington, and Colorado sparked the marijuana legalization movement, it came as little surprise. The legalization of marijuana at the time seemed closely tied to progressive liberal ideals. Nor was it earth-shattering news when recreational marijuana sales skyrocketed in these democratic states and these states all had tangible benefits.

The Republican state of Montana recently legalized recreational marijuana and has seen impressive sales. In the first weekend alone, the 20% recreational cannabis sales tax raised $ 313,396 in tax revenue for the state.

This may come as a bit of a shock to those who view marijuana legalization as an exclusively partisan issue. However, Montana is just a friendly reminder that in 2022, some Republican states will be enjoying marijuana just as much as their neighbors in the blue state.

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Montana isn’t the first red state to adopt recreational marijuana. Alaska, despite being Republican, has campaigned for the decriminalization of marijuana for decades. In 2014, Alaska became the third state in the United States to legalize recreational marijuana.

Since its legalization in 2014, recreational marijuana has steadily grown in popularity over time. In 2020, the state of Alaska collected $ 24.2 million in marijuana taxes and fees, according to the Alaska State Annual Report.

The Republican-controlled state of Florida also loves its marijuana. Although only medical marijuana is currently allowed in the Sunshine State, sales speak volumes. Florida’s medical marijuana sales skyrocketed to nearly $ 1.23 billion in 2020. “That puts Florida ahead of all states except for the cannabis power plants California and Colorado in terms of sales,” USA Today said.

Despite the hurdles and restrictions on buying medical marijuana, the people of Florida have spoken – and they say they like weed – even when it is only available medicinally. In fact, it looks like medical marijuana legalization could be a common stepping stone in legalization for more Republican states.

“In medical cannabis, we see most of the similarities between Democrats, Republicans and Independents,” Heather Fazio, a Texas marijuana advocate, told Politico.

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This year, states such as Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, and Maryland will be actively considering voting moves towards legalization. Several of the above states are Republican strongholds, which provides further evidence of the indisputable reality that marijuana is slowly ceasing to be a partisan issue.

According to Forbes, “In 2022, many states will seek to legalize cannabis to meet voters’ interests in revising current drug policies, creating a safe and stable market, and reducing the risks of the existence of the illicit market. “

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The proven benefits of taxable marijuana sales to legalized states are beginning to outweigh the antiquated “gateway drug” mentality in many areas of the country. Ultimately, Republicans and Democrats are finding more and more in common when it comes to reasons to support marijuana.