In 2012, Colorado and Washington voters legalized recreational cannabis sales, with the first dispensaries opening in 2014. A lot has changed in the decade since. More than half of people in the United States now live in a state that allows legal recreational cannabis, while 74 percent live in a state that has legalized either medical or recreational use, according to Pew Research Center.
The cannabis scene is drastically different than it was even five years ago as more and more states legalize, with a long list of dispensaries and growers, lounges, tours, and culinary experiences found from coast to coast. Industry experts predict the legal recreational market to reach $50.9 billion in value by 2029, and Forbes puts the value of the cannabis tourism market alone at $17 billion with plenty of room to grow.
