Cannabis als legale Freizeitdroge

• 31.08.2014: Golden Era of Commercialized Cannabis in California Darin:

It has been nearly 20 years since California passed Proposition 215, the landmark bill that created the nation's first medical marijuana market. Since that time, 22 states and the District of Columbia have joined California in putting medical marijuana laws on the books, and two states, Colorado and Washington, have made marijuana fully legal for "adult" or "recreational" use. - Now, California appears ready to enter into a "Golden Age of commercialized cannabis," with sales predicted to explode tenfold over the next five years, according to Silicon Valley News and marijuana research firm The ArcView Group. - "Once the medical marijuana industry is legalized statewide, and you legitimize the entire production and distribution of medical cannabis, the business will explode and the state would collect $400 million a year or more in sales taxes," Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, told Silicon Valley News. - The ArcView Group's report estimates that the legal marijuana market will be worth $2.6 billion this year, up from $1.3 billion in 2013. By 2019, when "recreational" use will likely be legalized, research indicates the market could be worth as much as $10 billion a year.