9781422276938

Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Recre- ational use of cannabis has been decriminalized in France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Germany, although it is still technically illegal. The Netherlands has long allowed the use of medical cannabis (and has ignored recreational use), but recre- ational cannabis laws are becoming stricter in this European country. Groundbreaking medical discoveries are only part of the new cannabis story, however; the revenue that medical and recreational cannabis businesses are generating across the board has become one of its most interesting aspects. Revenues in the U.S. legal cannabis market alone were $6.7 billion, as reported by the cannabis industry research firm Arcview Market Research. The U.S. cannabis industry employs 165,000 to 230,000 workers. It’s estimated that the legal cannabis market will create more than a quarter of a million new jobs within three years. This is higher than the expected new jobs that will become available in manufac- turing, utilities, or the government. By the time you finish reading this book, you’ll understand the important differences between tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, the different ways in which marijuana is now consumed, the benefits and drawbacks of cannabis use, and current developments in the medical and recre- ational legalization of cannabis in the United States and in countries around the world. We know so much more about marijuana today than we ever have before, and this book will help you to understand the science behind marijuana, public opinion and laws in the United States and in other countries, and how it has become a major business in the United States and around the world.

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