California just legalized marijuana — and that’s a game changer

This could be a tipping point for the drug

by Angela Chen

Recreational marijuana is now legal in California — and that’s a game changer for public health. Though 25 other states have already legalized weed for medicinal purposes and four for recreational purposes, the size and population of California puts its decision in a different league and it could lead the way to figuring out policy around the drug.

Current projections have Maine, Nevada, and Massachusetts voting to legalize recreational marijuana, while Arizona voted against legalizing recreational pot.

Medical marijuana was also on the ballot for several states. Current projections have North Dakota, Montana, Arkansas and Florida all expected to approve medical marijuana.

The trend is clear: 60 percent of Americans support legalizing weed, up from 31 percent in 2000. California is the state with the largest economy and — now that it has legalized pot — the national weed industry has tripled in size. In fact, California’s marijuana industry could be bigger than its famed wine businesses. The market for both recreational and medicinal marijuana is now projected to grow to $22 billion by 2020, up from $7 billion this year.

California now needs to deal with issues such as how marijuana fits into the state economyand public policy surrounding stoned driving.

Read full article at theverge.com