Report: Legal Cannabis Could Bring Argentina $441 Million Annually in Taxes and 62,000 New Jobs

The report, titled The Other Way to Go Legit: The Impact of Cannabis in Argentina, was authored by economist Rolando García Bernado and journalist Nicolás José Rodríguez, in collaboration with CAINCCA—the Chamber of the Cannabis and Industrial Hemp Industry—and several Argentine universities. The authors estimate the total economic potential of a fully regulated cannabis industry in Argentina at $1.697 billion. Within that, the medical cannabis sector alone could generate $834 million in sales and $216 million in annual fiscal revenue. The 62,000 jobs projected from medical cannabis would rival the workforce size of Argentina’s automotive sector.

To demonstrate how cannabis revenue could be reinvested, the report outlines what that funding could support—hundreds of new daycare centers, maternity wards, laboratories, and thousands of miles of new or improved roads and highways. If adult-use cannabis were legalized as well, those figures would more than double.

Despite this potential, outdated regulations are preventing Argentina’s cannabis industry from expanding. The report warns that many patients still rely on unregulated products due to limited domestic supply and that local producers face barriers to growth.

“The absence of a national regulated market limits the benefits cannabis can bring to Argentine society,” said Rodríguez. García Bernado emphasized that a “clear and modern regulatory framework” is key to unlocking the industry’s benefits.

Luis Osler, president of CAINCCA and a cannabis law expert, said the report should serve as a roadmap: “With proper regulations, cannabis could become a major engine for jobs, investment, and public health improvements across Argentina.”