Subscriptions - Maximum Yield Cannabis USA November/December 2020 | Page 12

Now is the perfect
time for legalization
and for the marijuana
industry to become
legitimate in the U.S.”
from the
EDITOR
TG
Toby Gorman
The marijuana industry is really beginning
to roll. Two years after Canada legalized
it, the messy rollout is starting to take shape
as hundreds of new retailers are opening,
CBD extracts are flying off the shelves, and
future growth is imminent.
Australia has been pegged as a
nation with some of the greatest growth
potential for marijuana products once the
government there finds a way to reduce the
paperwork and make medical marijuana
products more accessible.
And, finally, the U.S. could be closing in on
legalization nationwide with the announcement
of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s selection
for vice president. Harris is pro pot
and introduced the Marijuana Opportunity
Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE
Act). The MORE Act would decriminalize marijuana,
remove it from the controlled substance
list, and expunge marijuana offenses from a
person’s record. It would also create a fund
from a national tax on marijuana. The act is
awaiting action in the senate. What’s surprising
is that a recent poll says that 60 percent
of Republicans say they support the MORE
Act. That same poll says 58 percent of voters
support legalizing marijuana nationwide.
The bottom line is now is the perfect time
for legalization and for the marijuana
industry to become legitimate in the U.S.
COVID-19 has resulted in millions of job
losses, governments are sinking in debt, and
a new revenue-generating industry is just
what is needed to dig out of this COVID hole.
It’s starting to feel a little bit like those
heady days just before harvest. Where all of
that work and patience has been put in and
the payoff is about to materialize. Where
the disaster that was 2020 will fade into the
rearview mirror and we can welcome 2021
with a long, optimistic, worry-free pull on
our favorite strain knowing that things are
changing for the better.
12
Maximum Yield