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States in the Southeast and Midwest are bound to benefit the greatest with the opening of new cannabis markets. They have the advantage of lower labor costs and real estate costs compared to other regions. They also have limited licensing programs which will affect the ratio of competition to be expected for such licenses. Another advantage heading into legalization will be the technological advancements of such states in the area of agriculture and processing of its products.
Here is a closer look into the four states that could legalize medical marijuana in 2021.
Alabama
The likelihood of Alabama passing a medical marijuana bill in 2021 is very high. The Senate already passed a medical marijuana bill in March 2020 before the pandemic hit. A 22-11 vote in favor of medical marijuana enough to get the bill to the House. However, the effects of the COVID-19 made that hard to do. The same bill is expected to be passed this year by Sen. Tim Melson and the bill is expected to have smooth sailing towards rubber stamping.