Washington, DC: Retail sales of cannabis products in the United States reached all-time highs during the months of April and May, according to data compiled by the firm New Frontier Data.
Analyzing retail sales data from 24 state-legal markets, authors reported, “Average consumer monthly spending rose to record highs in April and May, reaching $290 and $296, respectively.”
Authors highlighted record sales totals in several states. In Oregon, retails sales of marijuana products totaled an estimated $100 million in May, the single-highest monthly total ever reported in the state. In Colorado, marijuana-related sales in May totaled $192 million, also a record high. Sales of medical cannabis products in Florida and Oklahoma have also maintained month-over-month growth during this same time period.
Authors concluded, “One unanticipated effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the growth acceleration of legal cannabis markets (and erosion of the illicit markets) in those states which have activated both medical and adult-use sales.”
Numerous state and local regulators have designated marijuana-related dispensaries as “essential” businesses during the pandemic – allowing them to provide uninterrupted, and in some cases, expanded services during the COVID-19 outbreak.
A summary of states’ emergency policies governing cannabis sales is online from NORML. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, “Marijuana Regulation: Impact on Health, Safety, and Economy.”