Seven states and the District of Columbia have adopted the most expansive laws legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Most recently, California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada all passed measures in November legalizing recreational marijuana.
It also would be Kroger's biggest takeover since 1998, when it bought the Fred Meyer food and merchandise store chain in the Northwest for more than $12 billion, according to financial data service Bloomberg.
There are some 2,500 Kroger-owned locations spread across 31 states. On Tuesday, the grocery giant Kroger Company announced that it would buy Harris Teeter, a relatively small grocery chain, for $2.4 billion. Under the agreement, Kroger will purchase all outstanding shares of Harris Teeter for $49.38 per share in cash and assume $100 million in debt.