Medical marijuana sales declined in Maine for the second straight year, a decrease that some dispensary owners blame on unfair competition both from the black market and patients growing their own product.
According to the Portland Press Herald, tax data shows the state’s eight licensed dispensaries brought in $23.5 million in sales in 2018, down 4.1% from the previous year.
Medical marijuana dispensary sales in the state peaked in 2016 at $26.6 million.
Even then, industry observers worried that MMJ sales were slowing and attributed much of the decline to the increasing number of caregivers in the state allowed to grow for patients.
Dispensary owners said the recent declines likely resulted from more patients growing their own cannabis, as well as licensed MMJ businesses being forced to cut prices as black-market delivery services have undercut them.
Maine lawmakers are currently considering new regulations for medical and recreational marijuana that could limit non-dispensary providers.
– Associated Press and Marijuana Business Daily
Source of article: https://mjbizdaily.com/medical-marijuana-sales-maine-continue-downward-slide/
