John Schroyer
Adult-use marijuana sales almost doubled from 2021 to 2022, as the number of recreational retailers also shot up.
The New England state sold $159 million in cannabis last year, up from $82 million in 2021, Maine Public Radio reported. The number of licensed retailers increased 20% to more than 110.
The growth in the number of legal shops has drawn more consumers over from the underground market, John Hudak, the new director of the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy, told the news outlet.
“The expectation … is for real growth over the next few years in this space,” Hudak said, adding that his office has “a lot of applications in the queue right now” for even more cannabis shops.
Hudak also predicted that even more consumers will gravitate to the legal cannabis industry as time wears on and the retail scene continues developing.
“They’re having access to a variety of products, that are a little less intimidating to them, a little more discrete. And that is really motivating new consumers into the market,” Hudak said.
New Frontier Data estimates that Maine’s adult-use market will reach roughly $243 million in annual revenue in 2025.
