March marijuana sales easily passed $150 million in Massachusetts.
In March, Massachusetts saw a total of $154 million in legal marijuana sales, marking a $4 million increase compared to March of last year and a more than $10 million increase from the previous month. These figures fall just $4 million shy of the record-breaking $158 million in sales seen in December, according to data from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).
Only $17.2 million of the $154 million in sales was attributed to medical marijuana patients, while the remaining $136.8 million was for recreational use.
Total marijuana sales so far in 2024 is $441 million, bringing the all-time sales figure to $7.28 billion.
Reported marijuana sales data includes dried marijuana flower and shake and marijuana concentrates, as well as a variety of marijuana-infused products such as edibles, tinctures and topicals.
The average price per gram of marijuana in January was $5.34, a $0.02 increase from the recording-setting low of $5.32 set last month. The average cost per ounce also rose very slightly from the all-time low of $150.93 to the current average of $151.34.
According to the CCC, there are currently 633 active marijuana strains available in the legal marijuana market, 35 more than in February.
Marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts in 2016, with the law allowing those 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to six plants for personal use. The first licensed marijuana store opening in 2018. Recreational marijuana purchases include an excise tax of 10.75%, which is in addition to the standard statewide sales tax of 6.25%. Medical marijuana sales are exempt from both taxes.
Recently the Governor’s Council gave approval to a plan introduced last month by Governor Maura T. Healey that would pardon misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions. Governor Healey calls “the most comprehensive action by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to take similar actions in their states”. Healey says the move could impact hundreds of thousands of people.
