Private businesses may not benefit much from the new recreational cannabis industry

Recreational marijuana is said to bring in millions of revenue for the state, but that does not mean every business will benefit from the new industry.

According to the state of New Mexico, the industry will bring in $50 million in state revenue.

State leaders say that it will be used for state programs such as housing, food insecurity, and economic development.

A local economics professor at New Mexico State University says that the private economy such as restaurants and movie theaters may not see a big boost.

"The reason for that is that marijuana is a recreational drug, people buy it for recreational purposes. That recreational usage means that they're not engaging in some sort of other recreational activity," said Erickson. "