As cannabis becomes a booming global industry, America is stuck on the sidelines. While countries like Canada, Portugal and Colombia ship products around the world, U.S. federal laws block companies from exporting — and that delay could be costing up to $10 billion a year in lost trade, jobs and influence.
When I first asked whether the U.S. was missing out on the global cannabis boom, the response was overwhelming. Investors, CEOs, policymakers—they all know it’s happening. This follow-up zeroes in on one missed opportunity too big to ignore: exports.
According to an analysis from Matt Karnes at GreenWave Advisors, the U.S. could be missing out on up to $10 billion a year simply by sitting on the sidelines of global cannabis trade.
Ten. Billion. Dollars.
That’s not just market share: that’s jobs, tax revenue and influence, slipping away while other countries like Canada, Portugal and Colombia race ahead.
And here’s the kicker: cannabis isn’t a niche market anymore. It’s shaping up to be one of the world’s fastest-growing regulated industries—much like alcohol, tobacco and pharma before it.
The U.S. once led all three globally. Why should cannabis be any different?
The $10 Billion Blindspot
When Karnes crunched the numbers, he wasn’t guessing. He started by looking at how much America already exports in other sectors: wine, beer, tobacco, pharmaceuticals.
In pharma, about 18% of U.S. production is exported.
In alcohol and tobacco, the figure hovers around 1%.
For cannabis, he took the middle ground. Assuming the U.S. market reaches $100 billion at maturity—a widely cited projection—Karnes estimates that even modest export participation could represent at least $10 billion a year.
Yet today, that figure is closer to zero.
Why? The same century-old federal prohibition everyone else has already outgrown. …
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Author: Javier Hasse / High Times
