Experts Predict the Next 5 States to Legalize Weed

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In the United States, cannabis legalization is spreading like wildfire (sorry, California), and now experts predict the next five states to legalize weed. There is currently a grand total of eight states, plus Washington D.C., that have successfully passed recreational cannabis. So now, the question on everyone’s mind is: who’s going to be next?

The Predictions Are In

Trying to predict political and legal outcomes is a national pastime.

In recent years, cannabis acceptance has been making strides. And as a result, the legalization of recreational weed has been spreading. So far, there are eight states (out of 50) which now allow adults to purchase marijuana without a medical card. The states that have passed recreational weed are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. Recreational cannabis is also legal in Washington, DC.

So what will be the next lucky state to go green? Those in the know are weighing in. Experts predict the next five states to legalize weed will be:

Vermont

According to the founder and managing partner of GreenWave Advisors, LLC, Matt Karnes, Vermont might see legalized weed by the year 2021. He predicts that it will either come in the form of medical marijuana only or maybe be fully legalized. Either way, it will be good for Vermont’s economy, so hopefully, the Green Mountain State will get a mountain of green soon.

New Jersey

The thing about New Jersey is that whoever wins the gubernatorial election, the status of cannabis is set to shift. Recent polls indicate that the Democratic candidate, Phil Murphy, is much more popular than his opponent, Republican Kim Guadagno. Murphy has stated that, if elected, he wants to make New Jersey’s medical marijuana program more accessible. On that front, Guadagno is in agreement and also wants to expand the medical program. But additionally, Murphy wants to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. For Ken VandeVrede, the COO of Terra Tech Corp, this will mean big business. Especially since his company has a state-of-the-art greenhouse. They don’t call it the Garden State for nothing!

Michigan

Danny Davis, the managing partner of Convectium, seems to think that Michigan is next in line to join the recreational cannabis sphere. In a recent interview, he cites the blossoming medical weed industry in the state as the basis for his prediction. He even posits that, “Michigan [is] looking like another California.”

Florida

Experts predict the next five states to legalize weed will include Florida. But it won’t happen right away. Tikun Olam USA’s chief marketing officer Stephen Gardner predicts that significant strides in education about the plant will need to happen before real progress can be made. He’s hopeful that Florida will go green within the next 10 years.

Kentucky

This one might be a bit of a stretch. Kentucky will probably not legalize cannabis in the near future. At least according to John Ryan. He’s the founder and director of Ananda Hemp. He does believe, however, that Kentucky will be at the forefront of the impending industrial hemp revolution.

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