Marijuana Business Factbook 2019

12 Marijuana Business Factbook 2019 Chapter 1 | National Trends © Copyright 2020, Marijuana Business Daily , a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc. You may NOT copy this Factbook, or make public the data and facts contained herein, in part or in whole. For more copies or editorial permissions, contact CustomerService@MJBizDaily.com or call (720) 213-5992, ext. 1. INDUSTRY TRENDS & DEVELOPMENTS CHART 1.09: Americans’ Support For Legalizing Marijuana: 1969 - 2018 Source: Gallup © 2019 Marijuana Business Daily, a division of Anne Holland Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Americans' Support For Legalizing Marijuana: 1969 - 2018 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Support 34% 34%46% 48%51% 58% 60% 44% 12% 36% 66% 16% 64% 31% 50% 28% 58% 23% 25% 25% Support for marijuana legalization has risen dramatically in the U.S. over the past half-century, from a low of 12% in 1969 ― the first year Gallup began asking about the topic ― to a high of 66% in 2018. Gallup notes that, while some groups back marijuana legalization more than others do, support has increased at similar rates across political parties, religions, educational levels, racial and ethnic groups and gender. The fundamental weakness with this poll, however, is that it does not draw a distinction between marijuana legalization for medical use versus recreational purposes. While keeping this survey question constant over time allows researchers to examine long-term attitudinal shifts, it makes it difficult to determine exactly what type of marijuana legalization Americans are voicing support for. Even so, it’s clear that attitudes toward marijuana in the U.S. have grown more liberal over time, and at this point many in the cannabis industry believe it’s a matter of when ― not if ― marijuana becomes legal at the federal level. Businesses are already making major deals based on this assumption, including Canadian cannabis giant Canopy Growth striking a $3.4 billion deal to buy New York-based Acreage Holdings ― contingent on the U.S. government’s removal of federal marijuana prohibition.