The number of jobs related to hemp, cannabis, and marijuana could increase more than sevenfold in Florida by the year 2025 — that is, if recreational marijuana gains approval in the November 2020 election.
The prediction comes from a new study on the cannabis industry conducted by New Frontier Data.
“Assuming full federal legalization, New Frontier Data estimates cannabis jobs could reach 128,587 by 2025,” says John Kagia, chief knowledge officer at the D.C.-based research group. That’s up dramatically from the state’s current number of cannabis jobs, which Kagia says is at 16,792.
Florida is also predicted to snag a 12 percent share of the country’s $29.7 billion legal market by 2025. As of last year, the survey estimates Florida had an estimated 2.5 million cannabis consumers, defined as legal adults who reported using a cannabis product at least once in the past year.
New Frontier Data incorporated figures from government entities, retail sales from cannabis companies, and statistics from academic and medical institutions to make its predictions. The group also conducted a survey of 3,138 people in October 2018 to gauge their usage habits.
Kagia says the jobs coming out of the industry range in skill levels and types of work. [Read more at Miami News Times]