For the Culture By The Culture
Legal cannabis has generated nearly $25 billion in tax revenue, with $4.4 billion collected in 2024 alone. States benefit significantly, funding various community programs. However, equity issues remain, as many who contributed to legalization are still marginalized. The promise of justice is overshadowed by bureaucracy and economic barriers for legacy growers.
Weed is getting cheaper but it’s not a win. Behind those $49 ounces and $2 prerolls is an industry bleeding out. Overproduction, bad policy, and corporate greed are killing quality, crushing independents, and leaving consumers with less than they bargained for. This isn’t a correction. It’s collapse.
Colorado just lost $20 million in cannabis sales, and it’s not a fluke. From hemp loopholes to collapsing tourism, this feature investigates what’s really behind the budget cuts and how the cracks in Colorado’s cannabis economy could foreshadow a national unraveling. If the “gold standard” of legalization is struggling, what does that mean for everyone else?
The cannabis industry is expected to pump $123.6 billion into the U.S. economy in 2025. That’s not just growth—it’s a cultural reckoning. Built by the same community they tried to erase, this number doesn’t just shut down critics. It buries them.
Increasing tariffs and trade policies are driving up prices for cannabis accessories, impacting consumers who face strategic price hikes disguised as inflation. Major corporations pass these costs to customers while small producers struggle. The industry’s silence on these issues highlights economic manipulation, urging consumers to support local brands and demand transparency.
