Voters in nine U.S. states will decide on marijuana legalization initiatives come November. And if just seven of those initiatives pass, a new report says those states could inject $7.8 billion into the nation's economy by 2020.

Of course, marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

But Arizona, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, Montana, Florida and California are all voting to loosen their own pot restrictions.

And the report from New Frontier Data and Arcview Market Research says it could mean big money.

The study also claims the entire cannabis industry in the U.S. could hit $20.6 billion by 2020, which is slightly less than what was predicted earlier this year.

Still, as New Frontier's CEO said in a statement, "The cannabis industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the economy and continues to astonish those in and out of the space."

Currently, 25 states and the District of Columbia have laws legalizing marijuana in some form.

About the Author

Keep Reading

CBS News Atlanta debuted its first newscast at WUPA-TV on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, featuring Jobina Fortson-Evans as the station's first anchor. (CBS News Atlanta)

Credit: CBS ATLANTA SCREENGRAB

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT