There’s been lots of movement in state legislatures regarding marijuana over the past few months. In November, Missouri and Maryland voted to legalize recreational marijuana.
That doesn’t necessarily mean weed is immediately accessible, though. Passing a referendum and implementing a program are two separate things, and sometimes the latter doesn’t get done. For example, Maryland’s program is slated to go live July 1, 2023, but legislators are already warning that the regulations won’t be ready to go by then.
In Missouri, possession became legal on Dec. 8, 2022, but dispensaries aren’t expected to open until February 2023.
But once the wait is over, it’s a pretty exciting time, opening up opportunities for economic growth within a state. That day arrived for New York late last month. New York State initially passed its adult-use marijuana law in March 2021, but its first recreational dispensary opened just a few weeks ago on Dec. 29, 2022.
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