After launching the adult-use cannabis market in July of last year, licensed retailers in Maryland have sold more than $1.1 billion worth of legal marijuana products, including more than $700 million to adult consumers and $400 million in medical marijuana.
Sales surpassed $95 million last month alone, with adult-use purchases making up more than two thirds of that amount ($67 million), according to a press release.
“Our new adult-use cannabis market isn’t only generating extraordinary economic activity – it’s also helping us build new pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all,” said Gov. Wes Moore in the release. “Making Maryland more competitive means ensuring that everyone can reap the benefits of Maryland’s economic growth. This important milestone proves how our administration continually – and repeatedly – honors our deep commitment to that mission.”
Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization Highlights
The release also highlights other milestones during the past year of regulated cannabis, including establishing “a first-in-the-nation state cannabis reference laboratory dedicated to cannabis oversight and managed by a state cannabis regulatory agency” and opening “the first cannabis business licensing round in the nation that was reserved exclusively for social equity applicants.”
In partnership with the Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland also established a first-in-the-nation Cannabis Workforce Development Program, which will prioritize training individuals with a history of cannabis-related offenses. The state also collaborated with the Department of Health to launch a comprehensive public health and safety campaign, “BeCannabisSmart,” which promotes safe and responsible cannabis use and educates the public on important topics such as the dangers of drugged driving, smoke-free spaces and safe storage of cannabis products.
“I am proud of the efforts of the Cannabis Administration staff who worked in collaboration with our governmental and industry partners to implement a safe and equitable market in Maryland, while simultaneously building a new regulatory agency,” said Maryland Cannabis Administration Director Will Tilburg in the release. “As exciting as the past year has been, we expect the year ahead to be even more so, as new social equity businesses bring their passion and innovation to the Maryland market.”
