This post The People Want Pot ?The States Want Profits appeared first on Daily Reckoning. You can't have a conversation about the marijuana industry without mentioning the constant rain on the pot parade by the U.S. government. This week it was Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly turning up his nose at the mention of Canada legalizing marijuana nationwide by next year. Earlier this month, White House press secretary Sean Spicer made a one-off comment stating the Trump administration would pursue greater enforcement of recreational marijuana use. Spicer even compared marijuana use to the opioid crisis in the U.S. But what do comments like Spicer's and Kelly's mean if your money is on marijuana? In short, nothing. In a controversial and young market like the marijuana industry, off-the-cuff comments from government officials are bound to temporarily move pot stocks. If you're a pot investor, it's a great lesson in growing a thick skin. Nothing about the long-term profit opportunity in marijuana will likely change based on a few glib comments from The White House. "Public opinion has clearly shifted in favor of decriminalizing recreational marijuana in the last few years, and it's entirely possible that as this plays out, President Trump doesn't see it as an issue worth risking favorability ratings over," said our in-house marijuana expert, Ray Blanco. Pot stocks will remain on an upward trajectory despite talking heads and political minds weighing in on the emerging trend. Most regular investors won't see it coming until it's too late… Below, trend expert Gerald Celente explains how if individual states want to see a new and profitable stream of revenue in the years ahead, it's in their best interest to ?go green?? Regards, Amanda Stiltner for The Daily Reckoning
States Who Legalize Marijuana Will See a Huge Revenue StreamBy Gerald CelenteForget the government hacks in Washington and their opinion on the marijuana industry for just a moment. Polls in the last five years show public approval of legal marijuana is rapidly rising. An October 2016 Gallup Poll found that 60% of respondents approved. Gallup reported: When Gallup first asked this question in 1969, 12% of Americans supported the legalization of marijuana use. In the late 1970s, support rose to 28% but began to retreat in the 1980s during the era of the ?Just Say No? to drugs campaign. Support stayed in the 25% range through 1995, but increased to 31% in 2000 and has continued climbing since then. In 2013, support for legalization reached a peak for the first time after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Since then, a majority of Americans have continued to say they think the use of marijuana should be made legal. The trend is clear: Much of the American public is over its reefer-madness thinking. Yes, there are political setbacks to overcome. Still, I consider these curves in the road, not roadblocks. Just consider Rhode Island and its southern New England neighbor Massachusetts. Massachusetts residents gave the green light to recreational marijuana legalization in November. But local government has been dragging its feet when it comes to writing and passing the actual law. In the meantime, Rhode Island is fast-tracking legalization. Its state legislature is exploring how it can advance legalization laws within the governing body, not at the ballot box. Why? Rhode Island sees the growth potential in bordering states with new lax marijuana laws. It needs to act fast to generate the same tax-revenue potential those nearby states will soon enjoy. Bottom line: States want the dough. Look at Colorado. It's emerging as the model template. Tax revenues from marijuana commerce exceed dollars from alcohol sales. Still, many advocates are concerned about the stances of President Donald Trump's administration. They worry federal laws outlawing marijuana use and sales will strengthen. They also fear that legalization's state-by-state momentum will slow. My analysis: Trump will see pot as good business. He's a businessman first and foremost. He has no history of taking an aggressive stance against marijuana. He is forming an administration that will function more like a boardroom than a Cabinet. Bottom-line priorities are much higher in policymaking under Trump than any administration in modern history. Trump will manage people like Jeff Sessions, who has made many anti-pot legalization statements. He also will manage other hard-liners like vice presidents, not independent-thinking Cabinet members. As long as the aim is economic growth, pot is safe. Finally, Trump advocates that states make up their own minds on these issues and act accordingly. By all indications, pot's trend line is approaching the dividing line. Resistance to its momentum is weaker than the surging acceptance. That will trump any social, health or political pushbacks. Legal pot's economics will increasingly emerge as a good bet for politicians, pot advocates and investors alike. Until next time, Gerald Celente for The Daily Reckoning The post The People Want Pot ?The States Want Profits appeared first on Daily Reckoning. |