Pew: Nearly 80 Percent of Americans Have a Marijuana Dispensary in Their County

Seventy-nine percent of Americans reside in a county that has at least one licensed marijuana retailer, according to data published today by the Pew Research Center.

The Pew analysis estimates that nearly 15,000 dispensaries are currently operating in the United States.

While cannabis retailers are relatively common on the west coast, in the northeast, and in Florida, researchers also identified concentrations of dispensaries near the borders between more and less permissive states. “Overall, one in every five dispensaries in the U.S. is located within 20 miles of a state border,” authors reported. “And 29 percent of these border dispensaries adjoin a neighboring state with less permissive cannabis laws.”

Several studies assessing the neighborhood impact of licensed dispensaries have reported that they are often associated with increased home values and decreases in crime.

Overall, 54 percent of Americans now reside in a state where the adult-use cannabis market is legal, and 74 percent live in a jurisdiction where marijuana is legal for either medical or adult use.

“Today, for the first time since the adoption of federal marijuana prohibition, more US citizens reside in jurisdictions where cannabis is state-legal than live somewhere where it is not,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.

Additional information is available from NORML’s fact-sheet, ‘Societal Impacts of Cannabis Dispensaries/Retailers.’