Connecticut’s adult-use cannabis market continues its remarkable streak of success, achieving a seventh consecutive month of record-breaking sales in July, according to data released by the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). The figures revealed that recreational marijuana transactions tallied an impressive $13 million last month, surpassing the prior month’s total by approximately $500,000. This surge is nearly threefold the inaugural month’s earnings in January.
July’s medical marijuana sales contributed a substantial $10.6 million, culminating in a combined sum of $23.6 million for both segments. Although this slightly trails the unprecedented $23.8 million milestone set in June, it underscores the burgeoning industry’s resilience. Since the inception of adult-use sales in January, Connecticut’s cannabis commerce has amassed an aggregate of around $146 million.
Significantly, July witnessed a third consecutive month where adult-use sales outstripped medical marijuana purchases. A striking 324,177 recreational cannabis products found new owners, overshadowing the 279,240 medical marijuana products acquired.
The department’s data also elucidated the consumer preferences in terms of product types. Notably, 52 percent of sales emanated from cannabis flower, while vape products and edibles accounted for 31 percent and 11 percent of the total, respectively.
In a statement, the DCP emphasized that the preliminary data excludes taxes collected during adult-use transactions and remains subject to further departmental review. In contrast, medical marijuana patients are exempt from taxation on their medicine purchases.
As Connecticut mirrors the commercial trajectory observed in other states post-legalization, a familiar pattern emerges. The medical cannabis market gradually recedes as the adult-use framework flourishes and diversifies. Notably, March saw Connecticut residents spend roughly $22 million on marijuana; however, medical cannabis still claimed a dominant role at that juncture.
In a significant development, as of July 1, Connecticut residents aged 21 and above gained the privilege to cultivate personal marijuana plants, a pivotal component of the state’s cannabis legalization legislation. Preceding this change, the DCP issued a public notice outlining the policy shift, detailing guidelines, and encouraging responsible cultivation practices.
Connecticut is by no means alone in experiencing record-breaking marijuana sales. Fellow Northeastern states—Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island—also reached new heights in cannabis purchases during July. In another corner of the country, Illinois witnessed a notable achievement, with retailers raking in $140 million from recreational marijuana products, marking the highest sales of the year and the second-highest monthly total since the adult-use market’s inception in 2020.
Maryland’s legal cannabis market followed suit, attaining an impressive $87.4 million in July, the inaugural month of recreational sales. Notably, the state generated over $10 million in combined medical and recreational purchases during the first weekend of adult-use sales alone. Meanwhile, Missouri’s adult-use market, which opened in February, has been maintaining a remarkable average of around $4 million in daily marijuana sales. The state reached an unprecedented pinnacle of $121.2 million in cannabis purchases during June. In Michigan, the momentum persisted as well, culminating in a staggering record of almost $261 million in marijuana sales for June, as indicated by state data.
