Survey Finds That People Prefer To Live In Legal Cannabis Jurisdictions

The adult-use cannabis reform ‘experiment’ has been underway in the United States since 2012 when voters in Colorado and Washington State approved legalization initiatives on Election Day.

Leading up to the successful votes in 2012 opponents pulled out all of the stops in an attempt to keep prohibition in place, including hurling unfounded theories that cannabis legalization and the industry it created would ruin both states.

Since 2012, many other states have also legalized cannabis for adult use and obviously, the sky has not fallen over any of them. In fact, a plurality of survey participants recently indicated that they prefer to live in legalized jurisdictions.

Below is more information about it via a news release from our friends at NORML:

A plurality of US adults desire to reside in a jurisdiction where “marijuana is fully legal.”

In a survey of new movers compiled by the real estate brokerage firm Redfin, 46 percent of respondents said that they would either “prefer” to live in a jurisdiction where cannabis was legal or that they would “only” live in a legalization state. Twenty-two percent of respondents did not want to reside in a legal state. Thirty-two percent of respondents had no opinion.

Studies have previously reported that cannabis legalization is correlated with increased property values. Data reported in July concluded, “[T]here is strong evidence that legalization drives higher property values — particularly in areas that allow recreational marijuana and welcome retail dispensaries. … These investments can improve quality of life in communities across the nation while attracting tourism and new residents who drive real estate demand.”

Separate data have shown that states experienced spikes in tourism following adult-use legalization.

Additional information is available in the NORML fact sheet, ’Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, Economy.’