Maine residents spend $250,000 on marijuana in first weekend of legal sales

During the first weekend of legal cannabis sales in Maine, retailers reported $250,000 in revenue.

People stood in long, socially-distant lines at the six stores across the state that opened Friday, and nearly $95,000 was reported in first-day sales. In total, nine shops have been licensed to sell marijuana products and paraphernalia.

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“Our retail store licensees went the extra mile to implement public health measures and control vehicle and pedestrian traffic visiting their establishments,” said Erik Gundersen, director of the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy. “Additionally, the respect and patience shown by consumers for these protocols and their willingness to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing was very encouraging.”

Gunderson is responsible for overseeing all aspects of licensing, regulation, and oversight of Maine’s medical use of marijuana and adult use marijuana programs.

His office reported more than 6,400 transactions, with some buyers traveling from neighboring states, including New Hampshire. About $25,000 was generated in sales tax during the four-day weekend, The Associated Press reported.

Mainers voted to legalize marijuana in 2016, but retail sales didn’t become legal until this month.

Cox Media Group