After Prohibition
As of September 2022, thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia regulated medical cannabis sales; nineteen states housed recreational markets. More than two-thirds of adults supported some form of legalization, regulation, and taxation. In 2021, the legal United States market posted revenue of $24 billion, a figure that will continue to grow as more states launch new programs or expand the ones they already operate. Cannabis isn’t going away. If anything, it’s becoming easier for consumers to obtain legally. With all of that being the case, does putting an end to federal prohibition even matter anymore? For a whole host of reasons, it matters very much. Cultivators want to promote their crop as organic, a label beyond reach until the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approves the designation—which the agency can’t do while the plant is federally illegal. Wary potential consumers might be reassured about product safety with nationally standardized testing. Scientists want...