On Election Day 2016, voters in Massachusetts approved Question 4, which legalized cannabis for adult use in the state. Part of Massachusetts’ recreational legalization model includes sales of regulated adult-use cannabis products. Legal sales of recreational cannabis products started in Massachusetts on November 20, 2018.
Between November 2018 and June 2025, the state’s legal cannabis dispensaries sold over $8 billion worth of recreational cannabis products. The $8 billion milestone was passed after a record-breaking first half of 2025, with gross sales in Massachusetts totaling $806 million between January and June 2025.
“The Massachusetts cannabis industry also set monthly gross sales records during that time in January ($133.2 million), April ($134.5 million), and May ($142.3 million) for those months.” stated the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
“The Commission is glad to see the Commonwealth achieve another adult-use cannabis sales milestone, which demonstrates that consumers continue to have confidence in the safety and security of the regulated market,” Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Executive Director Travis Ahern said, according to a press release. “As we anticipate the arrival of Social Consumption businesses – an entirely new license category – in the coming months, we look forward to increasing economic growth for Massachusetts.”
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission also determined the following about the state’s legal adult-use industry:
- Cannabis flower remained the most popular products sold in retail stores in 2025, grossing more than $338 million between Jan. 1 and July 6. Vape products and raw pre-rolls were the runners up, grossing $168.8 million and $116.4 million, respectively, so far this year.
- The top three highest-grossing days so far in 2025 were July 2 ($7.05 million), April 17 ($6.34 million), and April 18 ($6.30 million).
- Gross sales crossed the $8 billion mark on June 28, 226 days after the industry reached the $7 billion mark in November. That’s the second-fastest span between $1 billion milestones since the first Retailers opened in 2018 after the 220 days between $6 billion and $7 billion.
- May has been the highest-grossing month of 2025 so far, with daily gross sales averaging $4.57 million that month.
- Delivery Operators and Couriers – two license types that are exclusive to Social Equity Participants (SEPs) and Economic Empowerment Applicants (EEAs) – and Microbusinesses with Delivery Endorsements grossed $10.6 million over the first six months of 2025; this figure demonstrates growth compared to the first six months of 2024, when gross sales from these entities totaled $7.89 million.
- Through July 10, the Commission granted 40 notices to commence operations to adult- and medical-use licensees across the state, bringing the all-time total to 754, a 12% increase compared to July 2024. Of that 754, 71 licenses have become non-active dating back to 2018, or about 9.4% of all licenses. Since Jan. 9, Commissioners have approved 22 Provisional and 41 Final licenses, representing potential new businesses moving through the state’s licensing process.
All regulated recreational cannabis sales in Massachusetts are subject to a 6.25% state sales tax and a 10.75% state excise tax. Taxes from legal Massachusetts recreational cannabis sales between November 2018 through April 2025 totaled $1,297,433,078, per a report by the Marijuana Policy Project.
According to cannabis industry data analysis company Headset, the most popular flower strain in Massachusetts is Bananaconda by Simply Herb and averages $18.34 for 3.5 grams.