Ways cannabis dispensaries can improve a local community:

Greater availability of medical marijuana. Cannabis can be used to treat and improve a wide variety of conditions. It’s helpful in reducing anxiety, alleviating some symptoms of depression, reducing chronic pain, stimulating appetite, and mitigating the effects of cancer treatment. Dispensaries make it simpler, safer, and easier for the people who need cannabis to acquire it. 

Jobs and legitimization. Like with any business, a cannabis dispensary increases the number of jobs available to the community. It also has a side effect of legitimizing the people likely currently involved with the distribution and/or sale of cannabis in the community; with a legal, regulated option, they’re less likely to pursue dangerous or criminal activity.

Taxes and state-wide revenue. It’s also important to recognize that the sale of cannabis is taxed (for the most part), both with a standard sales tax and an additional excise tax, like what you’d typically find on alcohol and tobacco products. For example, in Colorado and Washington, where marijuana has been legal and taxed since 2014, cannabis-specific taxes have brought in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Our City can use these millions of dollars to repair roads, support schools, or provide assistance where it’s needed most.

Local economic benefits. Not all cities have a cannabis dispensary. In fact, they’re still somewhat rare. If Milpitas has one, it’s going to bring in visitors from all over the state, and possibly from out of state.  The increase in visitors and spending in our city can have a massive economic benefit to everyone who lives here.

A healthier housing market. It’s also demonstrable that the presence of a cannabis dispensary can actually increase home prices. Communities that approve of cannabis dispensaries are often seen as accepting and forward-thinking, which can be a perk for many homebuyers. Plus, anyone who needs cannabis for a medical condition is going to be more likely to buy a home near a dispensary.

Lower crime rates (or unchanged crime rates). Some people worry that the introduction of a cannabis dispensary will increase crime rates in the area; however, more than 100 studies seem to confirm that the opening of a cannabis dispensary has no impact on crime rates, or otherwise decreases crime rates in surrounding areas. Why is this the case? For starters, cannabis consumers aren’t inherently more likely to commit crimes than non-cannabis smokers. Plus, cannabis dispensaries are highly regulated and subject to significant oversight, meaning there’s little room for nefarious activity.