(Newswire.net — June 28, 2016) —
While cannabis still isn’t widely accepted in all communities, there are a number of people who are turning the growth of medical cannabis into a worthwhile business adventure. Medical cannabis dispensaries are popping up all over the U.S. to serve the local communities, and they don’t just benefit the people who launch them.
Increased Work in the Community
As marijuana dispensaries in Arizona and other states continue to rise, this brings further employment to the areas in which they are established. Not only does it provide the business owner with ongoing work but, more often than not, assistants and employees will also be required, creating more jobs in the area.
Establishing a dispensary can also give rise to other companies too as many owners also utilize insurance companies, payment processors and doctor recommendations alongside their service. This provides a boost to the medical cannabis dispensary while also bringing further opportunities and customers to other businesses in the area too.
A Growing Industry
In 2014, the medical marijuana industry was valued at $4 billion; as of this year, this figure looks set to quadruple to a whopping $16 billion. This rise is due to the ongoing medicinal benefits that are found within the drug along with its legalization in a number of U.S. states. This is further added to with the emergence of dispensaries across America, which continue to rise due to the profitability of the industry.
Aids Marijuana Awareness
As dispensaries are legal, it helps to promote the benefits of medical marijuana to the communities as many still remain unaware of these. Due to the controversy surrounding cannabis and its recreational use, many aren’t aware that many medical benefits have been found and dispensaries offer the education and advice to people who want to know more.
They also provide a place for people who are in need of medical marijuana to go to, legally, removing the risk of illegal sellers and the crime that is associated with them.
Assisting the Homeless
One U.S. state has also put recreational marijuana sales tax revenue to good use. In Aurora, Colorado, the Colfax Community Network is receiving money for projects which has been derived from the tax placed on recreational marijuana.
The network helps to educate families who are on a low-income and they will be receiving $220,000 of the $1.5 million that has been put aside to help homeless people in the area. Speaking about this latest venture, Julie Patterson, a spokeswoman for the city, said that they anticipate to have collected approximately $8 million from these taxes by the end of 2016. Some of this is being used in the building of a recreation center while half is being used to improve transportation in the city. Having become the first U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana commerce in 2014, Colorado is already benefiting from the taxes in place.
With the rise of U.S. states legalizing marijuana and with the growth of dispensaries, cannabis is not only becoming more widely accepted but is also bringing money to local communities.
Karen Martinez is a student working her way towards a career as a journalist. She loves to write on topics that are different and thought provoking, and she is not afraid to speak her mind even if on topics that are sometimes even controversial.