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5 towns saved from ruin by the booming legal weed industry

Melia RobinsonMay 21, 2017, 20:37 IST

In this Oct. 10, 2016 photo, agronomist Sean Babson walks between rows of the crop at Los Suenos Farms, America's largest legal open air marijuana farm, in Avondale, southern Colo. For the fall 2016 harvest, the 36-acres are expected to yield 5 to 6 tons.Brennan Linsley/AP

The legal marijuana industry brought in upwards of $4 billion in sales in 2016, according to a new report from the Marijuana Business Daily. And small-town America is riding the high.

In the eight US states where recreational marijuana is legal, the marijuana "green rush" has breathed new life into the rural communities that welcome it. Cultivation facilities, dispensaries, and infused products companies create jobs and tax revenue for the cities and states, which then supports public infrastructure and community efforts.

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Here are five towns that came back from the brink thanks to legal weed.