In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 U.S. cities with the highest weed consumption in 2023. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the cannabis industry in the U.S., the issues faced by the American cannabis industry, and cannabis industry consolidation, head to 15 U.S. Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in 2023.
5. Phoenix, AZ
Total Weed Consumption: 11.4 metric tons
Arizona is one of the more progressive states when it comes to cannabis banking. However, It is a restrictive and expensive environment. Once a bank notifies regulators that it is working with cannabis-related businesses, the bank is designated as a CRB. The CRB banks are subject to more oversight by the FDIC.
To compensate for the additional oversight required, the CRBs can charge significant fees to cannabis businesses for the privilege of having banking services. It is not uncommon for CRBs to charge anywhere from 25 to 100 basis points per deposit of any cannabis money. In 2021, Arizona collected close to $200 million in taxes from cannabis sales.
See also 11 Best Marijuana Stocks to Buy and 26 Biggest Marijuana Companies in the World
4. Houston, TX
Total Weed Consumption: 18.5 metric tons
Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Texas, though in several cities and counties, small amounts have been decriminalized. As for legal marijuana, it’s still restrictive in Texas and requires prescription. There are currently about 50,000 Texans registered but experts say only about 10,000 actively use medical marijuana.
3. Chicago, IL
Total Weed Consumption: 24.9 metric tons
As of January 1st 2020, recreational possession, consumption, and sales of cannabis products are legal in Illinois. Recreational marijuana sales in Illinois finished 2022 with more than $1.5 billion, up 13% more than 2021.
Chicago is home to a few of the cannabis industry’s leading players, including publicly traded Cresco Labs, Verano and Green Thumb Industries (all pink slips), and privately held PharmaCann.
2. Los Angeles, CA
Total Weed Consumption: 35 metric tons
California is the state with the best weed in America in 2023, as per the quality and availability of the plant. It is also the state that sells the most weed. The Sunshine State generated $5.3 billion in legal sales last year, and tax revenues from cannabis reached over $1 billion in 2022, the highest in the country. However, due to the state’s excessive taxes, currently 2 out of every 3 cannabis purchases are made in the illicit market.
According to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulations, there are 238 approved cannabis dispensaries in the city.
1. New York, NY
Total Weed Consumption: 62.3 metric tons
An estimated 1.6 million NYS adults aged 18 and older (12.8%) report using cannabis in the past 30 days, while an estimated 6% of adults consume cannabis daily or near daily. Legal cannabis is expected to generate 63,000 jobs across New York by 2025, according to an estimate by CannabizTeam, an industry executive search and staffing firm. The creation of new jobs would be a boon for New York City, which has lagged behind the rest of the country in recovering employment lost during the pandemic.
New York is not only the city that consumes the most weed in America, but also the city with the highest weed consumption in the world.
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