Cannabis sales in Maine set yet another record last month and more than doubled the growth pace, MaineBiz reports. Adult-use cannabis sales in July reached $9.43 million on 124,000 purchases—a 45% increase from June’s previous $6.47 million record.
The sales equate to $943,480 in taxes for state coffers. So far this year, more than $38.6 million of adult-use cannabis has been sold in the state which has led to $3.8 million in tax revenues.
Maine Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) Spokesman David Heidrich told Mainebiz that “the Independence Day holiday and summer tourism have all contributed to the robust sales growth witnessed in July.”
“These numbers demonstrate that, as access improves, more consumers are choosing the tested, tracked, and well-regulated market over a longstanding illicit market.” — Heidrich to MaineBiz
This is the first year of adult-use cannabis sales in the state, despite voters approving the reforms in 2016. The launch of the market was delayed first by governor vetoes of the implementation bill and then the coronavirus pandemic.
Maine’s first month of sales in October 2020 was about $1.4 million with only six active licensees, according to OMP data outlined by MaineBiz. June’s record sales of $5.36 million were up about 21% from May, while May sales were up 23% from the previous month, the report says.
Currently, there are 43 licensed facilities actively cultivating cannabis and another 183 facilities in-process. There are 23 active manufacturing licenses, with 76 in-process.
Editor’s note: A previous headline for this article incorrectly stated that Maine cannabis sales had doubled to set the July record but it was cannabis sales growth in the state, not the sales themselves, that doubled.
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