Maine’s Medical Marijuana Sales Jump 46 Percent

Maine Legislators Propose Extension of Delay in Marijuana Retail Sales

According to the Portland Press Herald, Maine Revenue Services recently released data that shows medical marijuana dispensary sales in the state hit $23.6 million in 2015, representing a 46 percent increase from the $16.2 million in sales for 2014.

This sales increase has been attributed to several factors, one being a potential increase in doctors willing to recommend medical marijuana as an option. According to Tim Smale, operator of Remedy Compassion Center, “In previous years there just didn’t seem to be as many doctors writing certifications.”

Beyond doctors willing to certify medical marijuana, the sales increase has also been attributed to an increase in patients seeking alternative treatment options.

Becky DeKeuster, director of education for Wellness Connection, a provider with four of the state’s eight dispensaries, explained, “There are a number of factors at play here. The first would be that Mainers are becoming more used to the idea of therapeutic cannabis … . We’ve had a very successful dispensary program for five years now and people are becoming used to this option.”

With Maine’s dispensaries having sold $23.6 million of medical marijuana in 2015, the state was able to generate $1.29 million in sales tax.

Caroline Cahill is the Managing Editor of MJINews. She earned her BA in Communications from College of Charleston and her MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has previously worked in higher education, development and radio. You can follow her on Twitter @CtheresaC.

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