PORTLAND, Maine — Maine is continuing to see a boom recreational cannabis sales. According to the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy, sales for adult-use pot in 2022 nearly doubled what was seen in 2021.
"There is a real appetite for Mainers to participate in the legal system," John Hudak, director of the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy, said.
According to state data, there were nearly $159 million reported in sales in 2022. In 2021, there was just under $82 million in sales.
"I think there's a transition happening from people who traditionally make purchases from the illicit market coming into the new market that's in the daylight," Hudak said.
In addition to more customers partaking in legal cannabis, Hudak said another reason business is booming is because of the growing number of places Mainers can purchase it.
"As more towns choose to opt in, as more people become familiar with the availability of cannabis within Maine, whether that is Maine residents or visitors to the state, those numbers we should expect both in terms of sales and in terms of tax revenue, should continue to accelerate," Hudak said. "I don't expect a leveling off happening until the mid, to latter part of this decade."
Hudak said in other states that have adopted recreational cannabis, sales started to reach a plateau around six or seven years after opening.
The surge in sales has meant great businesses for the hundreds of local dispensaries already open in Maine.
"Sales have doubled in the past year," Katie Webb, co-manager of Mystique of Maine, said.
"Hopefully stigma keeps breaking down, but I think it is nice and accessible for people to come in and just be able to just actually ask questions and get honest answers," Webb said.
The number of recreational dispensaries has also created a hot market for products, which has helped lower costs.
"Legal cannabis is not just affordable to customers, but it is affordable by comparison to the illicit market," Hudak said.
While competition has meant businesses need to get creative to bring customers in the door, businesses like Fire on Fore are optimistic that continued growth of the market can help all in the industry.
"We can continue to grow collectively as a community and thrive as a whole. It's good for the state of Maine if business is good for everybody," Fire on Fore owner Patrick Small said.