A market of nearly $77 billion is fairly similar to tobacco and alcohol markets
today. According to Standard & Poor’s industry report, the tobacco and alcohol
industries generated $263 billion combined in 2008. Alcohol represented $188 billion of
the total, with $99 billion in beer, $61 billion in spirits, and $27 billion in wine. Tobacco
generated $75 billion including $71 billion in cigarette sales (Nelson 2010). According
to research by the Fuji publishing company, the market for tobacco directly creates
662,402 jobs with a total compensation of $15,161,772,035. If legalized, a cannabis
industry that is currently nearly $77 billion would also create thousands of jobs. As
marijuana is grown, packaged, and transported from the field to the consumer it would
create jobs in growing, cutting, processing, distribution, and sales. These jobs would
create legal,