If you feel as if you’re smelling pot smoke pretty much everywhere nowadays, your nose is working just fine.
That’s because a new statistic shows Americans are spending more money now on legal weed than they are on chocolate.
And in a country with an obesity epidemic, that’s saying something.
According to the industry website MJBizDaily, weed sales, including medical marijuana and legal recreational sales at dispensaries, are expected to reach $34 billion in 2023 — up four billion bucks from last year.
By comparison, Americans spend a bite above $20 billion a year on chocolate.
Further, the site’s experts contend that the cannabis industry is expected to inject more than $100 billion to the U.S. economy this year, up 12% from last year.
The industry analysts contend that for every $10 spent on cannabis, a further $12 is spent on other products — post-smoke Taco Bell runs, maybe? — boosting that bottom line.
There’s even more green to be made from green, according to MJBizDaily experts, which notes restrictions dropping and dispensaries sprouting up in Kentucky, Missouri, New Yor, and Maryland could push that economic boost to $160 billion a year by 2027.