Get out and Vote

Cannabis Myths Countered by Facts

Myth: “Young adults are the most interested in retail cannabis” 

• Study: Seniors report cannabis helps relieve pain, insomnia, and anxiety 
• Study: “Cannabis use among the elderly is growing as there is more public acceptance and reduced stigma.” 
• Study: Plant-Derived THC/CBD Extracts Reduce Dementia Symptoms 

Myth: “Voting to legalize retail cannabis will encourage young adult and teen users”

• Fact: Only those 21 years and older can purchase retail cannabis in Vermont
• Study: The presence of state-licensed cannabis retailers does not increase cannabis use or access among young people. 
• Study: Concentration of medical cannabis dispensaries surrounding young adult marijuana users was unrelated to the amount of usage. 
• Study: Data shows no link between cannabis use and legal markets.

Myth: “Retail cannabis won’t benefit the Essex, Vermont community” 

• Study: Retail cannabis facilities are associated with rising housing values and millions of dollars in new tax revenue.
• Study: Dispensary closures are associated with increases in crime. 
• Study: Access to regulated cannabis is associated with declining alcohol consumption. 

Myth: “Recreational cannabis will lead to an increase in overall drug use”

• Study: Retail cannabis access is associated with reduced opioid consumption by the general public. 
• Study: Increased medical and recreational dispensary counts are associated with reduced opioid related mortality rates. 

Myth: “The presence of retail cannabis storefronts has increased traffic fatalities” 

• Analysis: Adult-use legalization laws are not associated with any significant upticks in traffic fatalities. 
• Study: Three years after recreational marijuana legalization 
• Reaction time 

Fact: Teenage brain development can be impacted by cannabis consumption which is why retailers will require ID to ensure customers are 21+

• Fact: Retail cannabis is NOT for anyone under the age of 21

Decrease in Teen Usage after Cannabis Legalization

• Study: Usage after the legalization of recreational cannabis has decreased among teenagers
• Study: Data suggests that regulating marijuana for adults’ use does not impact marijuana use among youth

Cannabis Social Justice and Job creation

Mental Illness in relation to cannabis

• Study: People suffering from PTSD who consume marijuana experience significantly fewer depressive episodes

Cannabis legalization will boost our national economic growth

• Study: More than 300 economists signed a petition supporting saving $7.7 billion a year by not having to enforce marijuana prohibition while taxing the sale of cannabis instead
• Study: “We expected more potential impact from an economic downturn, but the industry has proven to be resilient.”

Cannabis retail shops will fill the unemployment gap with high-paying opportunities and upward mobility.

• Study: National legalization in the US could result in $128.8 billion in tax revenue, and an estimated 1.6 million new jobs
• Study: The are 243,700 full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs supported by legal cannabis as of January 2020, with a 15% year-over-year growth rate

Decrease in Teen Usage after Cannabis Legalization

• Study: Usage after the legalization of recreational cannabis has decreased among teenagers
• Study: Data suggests that regulating marijuana for adults’ use does not impact marijuana use among youth

Benefits and Risks of Retail Cannabis in Essex

Benefits

• Adolescent cannabis use is decreasing through legalizing recreational sales
• Regulated retail will discourage the black market
• Regulated cannabis will be tested and labeled for potency
• Regulated cannabis has no pesticides or residual fertilizers
• Voting is ONLY for retail which will generate tax revenue
• Local retail will provide more convenient access for people who use cannabis medically
• Enhanced tourism will produce additional visitors and thereby benefit other shops, restaurants and hotels.
• Retail will increase jobs with livable wages and cannabis education

Risks

• Unregulated cannabis is not tested, may contain pesticides, and is not labeled
• Towns that have opted-in will benefit from tax revenues and an increase in tourism