Massachusetts surpasses $4 billion in legal marijuana sales as businesses continue to open, social consumption on the way

WORCESTER—Adult-use Marijuana Establishments in Massachusetts surpassed $4 billion in gross sales, the Cannabis Control Commission announced Friday. This is according to information that licensees report in the state’s mandatory seed-to-sale tracking system that is publicly available through the Commission’s Open Data Platform.

Aggregate data recorded in Metrc by 265 Marijuana Retailers and 14 delivery businesses operating statewide showed that on January 12, $4,000,732,608 in gross sales had been generated since the first two adult-use retail stores on the East Coast opened for business on November 20, 2018.

This milestone comes less than one year since the agency announced that licensees had surpassed the $3 billion mark on May 18, 2022, and several months past the Commission’s fifth anniversary.

“Consumers’ demand for tested, quality cannabis products remains strong since Massachusetts became the first East Coast state to open adult-use stores in 2018 and delivery service in 2021,” Commission Executive Director Shawn Collins said. “As new jurisdictions come online, I am confident that licensees in the Commonwealth will maintain the competitive edge by demonstrating to peers what it takes to operate a safe, effective, and equitable cannabis industry.”

Over the past year (1/1/2022 to 12/31/2022), 71 Marijuana Retailers opened for business across the Commonwealth, in addition to 3 Marijuana Couriers and 4 Marijuana Delivery Operators. In total, they generated $1,483,898,510 in sales for calendar year 2022.

New Leaf Cannabis Dispensary at 2629 South Main Street in Fall River also had a ribbon cutting earlier this month.

To date, 18 Economic Empowerment Applicant licensees, 29 Social Equity Program Participant licensees, and 50 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises – or state-certified minority-, woman-, or veteran-owned companies – of varying business types have opened. Meanwhile, the Commission is preparing this year to launch the fourth cohort of the SEP, a free statewide technical assistance and training program aimed at benefitting those who have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and seek participation in the legal industry. To date, nearly 900 Participants have benefited from the program.

Currently, delivery and social consumption license types are exclusively available to EEA and SEP Participants. While no social consumption license has been granted to date, 2023 may be a pivotal year following the passage of S.3096, An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry, which now enables municipalities to incorporate Social Consumption Marijuana Establishments into their communities.