Maine set another record for recreational cannabis sales last year.
Sales totaled nearly $244 million in 2024, a 12% increase over the previous year.
John Hudak, the director of the state's Office of Cannabis Policy, says the year-over-year growth is starting to flatten, after years of explosive gains in the industry.
"And that's normal. That's happened in all of the states that have legalized cannabis. But when you're looking at what year four looks like in Maine's program, the growth rates are still higher than they were say, in the fourth year after Colorado legalized," he says. "We're seeing some settling happening, where people are getting used to accessing cannabis legally. They're used to the places where they can purchase that from."
Hudak says he'd like to see "cannabis deserts" in the state shrink, with more towns opting into the recreational cannabis industry. At the same time, he says some businesses have closed in areas that have an overconcentration of dispensaries.
The price per gram of recreational cannabis also dropped again in 2024, falling 7% over the previous year. Hudak says the drop in price is partly due to overproduction of cannabis in Maine. But he says it has been a challenge for producers, who are dealing with increased operating costs.
