Marijuana Legalization: What To Expect In 2018

As 2017 comes to an end, it’s time for us to look forward to the new year and all the new legislation that comes with it. Depending on your state’s goals for 2018, you may have to pay more for taxes, have better roads, and be able to cultivate and legally buy marijuana without a medical card.

Starting January 1st, the total number of marijuana-legal states will increase to 7 for those over the age of 21 to use. This includes cultivating marijuana as well (with state-dependent regulations), which gives people the ability to grow their own supply.

In short, 2018 will be an interesting year for recreational and medicinal users. Here are some things to expect in 2018:

There will be more weed

It’s quite simple, really. Due to the ease of access to marijuana and its related products, there will be more marijuana available (as long as you live in states with more lax regulations). This includes states that decriminalized marijuana (this differs from simply making weed legal) like New York.

There are some big name states that still haven’t legalized it completely, notably Texas and Florida are still in the medicinal zone. This doesn’t mean that there will be less weed, however. There is a national trend in the United States that is more accepting to weed-culture, which would surely extend to all states, no matter their marijuana legislation.

Users will now also be able to grow their own supply, too. This means there will be a lot of weed that is unaccounted for in states that made it legal, which means exchanges of weed for cash that is untaxed. States may end up regulating home-grown weed, eventually.

Cannabidiol (CBD) will become a household staple

2017 certainly saw growth in the CBD market, but 2018 will be bigger for hemp oil. As the availability of marijuana soars, many people who are comfortable with marijuana may want a less extreme feeling relaxation so that they may still be able to complete tasks in a reasonable amount of time.

CBD is already available in many grocery stores and online marketplaces, but the popularity will grow in the coming year. Hemp oil has already found its way into food and beverages, as KickBack Cold Brew makes CBD-infused cold brew coffee. However, we’ve seen CBD in snacking chips and baked goods as well.

With CBD being a reasonable alternative to weed (especially for the subtle health benefits), expect even greater availability of hemp oil everywhere and for it to become a household staple.

Greater education on the effects of drugs

Colorado was the first state to legalize marijuana, and as a condition of marijuana being legal, a portion of taxes on weed were going to adolescent education on drugs. This system was widely popular among lawmakers as it provided more justification for the legalization of marijuana. This will likely extend to other states as well.

In addition, since being “high” constitutes arrest for Driving While Impaired (DWI), more resources will be allocated to educating drivers to not smoke and drive. While marijuana doesn’t elicit the same effects as alcohol, police officers on the road will especially be on the lookout in 2018 for drivers who may be high.

While some argue that marijuana can be considered a “gateway drug”, many wouldn’t disagree that greater education for the general population of the effects of marijuana would be beneficial.

Everyone may have a different opinion on marijuana legalization, but there’s no doubt that more people will use it in states where it is decriminalized and/or legal. If you’re unsure about the effects of marijuana, you could also opt for CBD instead. KickBack Cold Brew includes 20mg of CBD in their cold brew coffee, and the beverages are available in stores and online.