For residents in states that have legalized marijuana, the grass is indeed greener on their side.

That’s the takeaway from new polling data released earlier this month. The survey, from pollster YouGov, found that in “many states where recreational cannabis is legal, a plurality of citizens believes these laws have been more of a success than a failure overall.” 

The enactment of adult-use cannabis legalization laws in Colorado and Washington is associated with increased tourism in both states, according to data published in the Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy.

A team of researchers affiliated with Berry College in Georgia compared rates of hotel occupancy in Colorado and Washington post-legalization as compared to trends in other non-legal states.

A trip to the marijuana store is one of the few retail experiences we have outside of visiting the grocery store. So what can be learned from marijuana businesses during this stretch?

On January 21, 2020, a man in Washington State was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus after he traveled to China. This was the first confirmed case in the United States. A little over a month later, on February 29, a man in Washington died from what we were now calling COVID-19. This was the first reported COVID-19 death in the United States, though we would later learn that two residents of a nursing home in Washington State had died a few days before and a man in California’s autopsy later confirmed that he had succumbed to the virus on February 6.

Most adults living in states where marijuana use is legal view the policy change as successful, according to state-specific polling data compiled by YouGov.com.

Respondents in California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington were asked their opinion regarding whether their state’s adult-use legalization policy “has been a success or a failure.”

Cannabis is legal in Washington and Michigan. Notably, Washington became the second state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012.

Despite the varying policies and confusing rules, cannabis businesses continue to generate significant tax revenue in various states during the pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak has prevented most businesses from remaining open for the foreseeable future, slamming local economies and devastating state tax revenue.

This grim scenario should be enough to convince states that were previously anti-cannabis to change their tune, according to David Hess, the co-founder of investment firm Tress Capital.

Cannabis dispensaries in Washington will be allowed to remain open during the closure of nonessential businesses ordered by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday. The Democratic governor issued the stay-at-home order in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. 

Inslee’s order went into effect for residents immediately on Monday afternoon and will be effective for businesses on Wednesday. The governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order is slated to last for at least two weeks.

The order requires all businesses deemed non essential to cease operations that cannot be completed by workers remotely from home. Washington residents were directed to heed state public health advisories to stay home except to pursue an essential activity.

All retail stores must designate an employee or officer who must establish and implement social distancing and sanitation measures.

State lawmakers passed a bill last week to bring a social equity program to Washington’s cannabis industry, eight years after voters approved a ballot initiative that legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana. The measure, House Bill 2870 (HB 2870), now awaits action from Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee.

As millions of Americans increasingly rely on cannabidiol (CBD) products – to the tune of more than $1 billion in sales -- to help with pain, depression, anxiety and even cancer, new Digital Citizens Alliance (Digital Citizens) research shows that CBD levels listed on product labels may often be inaccurate, putting consumers at risk and highlighting the need for federal standards and regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).