Marijuana Venture’s ongoing feature exploring the cannabis industry’s presence in various regions throughout the United States turns this month to the beautiful Southwestern states of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and California. These states share a long history as pioneers of both the medical and recreational cannabis markets. This section will take a look into the regulations, sales, trade organizations, operators and the potential of the Southwestern state markets, which are still evolving.
While California, with its legal medical market dating back to the mid-1990s, is in many ways the genesis of the modern cannabis industry, the state’s transition to adult-use has been mired with problems surrounding licensing, the massive black market and the much-needed implementation of social equity programs that actually provide equity, instead of loopholes.
Arizona, on the other hand, has transitioned rather smoothly from medical-only to recreational sales, largely because the state has capped the number of licensees at just 169 — most of which were licensed prior to the adult-use laws being implemented.
Nevada’s adult-use market is slowly growing, although the pace is somewhat glacial; regulators have been making strides toward opening consumption lounges and creating a more equitable market.
New Mexico is the latest state to launch an adult-use program in the Southwest, but sales since the market opened on April 1, 2022, are already exceeding projections.
Next month, Marijuana Venture will look at the Midwest region, including the red-hot markets of Illinois, Missouri and Michigan. For information about upcoming issues or to learn about advertising and sponsorship opportunities, email Editor@MarijuanaVenture.com.
Special Thanks
A special thanks to sponsors Abstrax, High 5 Edibles and Price Kong and Co. CPAs for making this issue possible.
About Marijuana Venture
Marijuana Venture is a leading business magazine focused on the legal cannabis industry in North America. Marijuana Venture is published monthly and distributed to subscribers and through bookstores and newsstands in the United States. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.MarijuanaVenture.com or call 425-656-3621.
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