The Indicator from Planet Money · Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Until 2022, the cannabis industry, despite being legal in many states, did not have a dedicated NAICS code. Analysts and researchers had to rely on indirect methods, such as tracking industry publications and associations, to gather data, making the process less accurate and more labor-intensive.
“Like until 2022, there were no NAICS codes for marijuana, even though it was a legal business and almost two dozen states.”
“Uh, occasionally had those questions as a research librarian, and you would say, okay, who are the officiandos? How many people subscribe to High Times? There were associations, you know, so you contact that association and find out how many members. It was a lot of legwork. It was not as accurate.”