Massachusetts Adult-Use Cannabis Gross Sales Exceed $10 Billion

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission announced September 9, 2026 that the state’s adult-use Marijuana Establishments have exceeded $10 billion in all-time gross sales, based on sales data published to the agency’s Open Data Platform.

Adult-use retailers, including Marijuana Retail stores, Delivery Operators, and Microbusinesses with Delivery Endorsements, crossed the $10 billion threshold on September 5, 2026, and the running total stood at $10,008,567,111, according to the Commission. The sales data dates to November 2018, when the first two adult-use Marijuana Retailers commenced operations in Northampton and Leicester. The Commission said the milestone comes nearly a decade after voters approved adult-use cannabis in the November 2016 election and nearly eight years after those first two stores opened.

Chair Chris Harding said an industry that is not yet a decade old counts hundreds of businesses of all sizes and employs nearly 15,000 people. “Every adult-use sale generates tax revenue that goes back into vital programs and services at the state and local levels, from substance abuse treatment programs to police training and the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund,” Harding said. Executive Director Travis Ahern said the market has grown quickly since the first retail stores opened in 2018 and “now reliably generates more than $1.5 billion in gross sales annually.”

Sales Pace and Milestone History

By the end of August 2026, Marijuana Establishments had grossed $1.09 billion for the year, following a record-breaking June with $156 million in sales, the highest single month ever, according to the Commission. Establishments grossed $1.65 billion in adult-use sales over calendar year 2025.

The Commission announced on February 17, 2026 that establishments had passed $9 billion in all-time gross adult-use sales, a mark crossed on February 4, 2026. The previous billion-dollar milestone, $8 billion, was passed in June 2025. Through February 4, 2026, establishments had grossed $151 million for the year, with a notable increase in sales preceding a large snowstorm on January 25 and 26, 2026; retailers grossed $7.1 million on the Friday before the storm, according to the February announcement.

The state’s nine Delivery Couriers and 16 Delivery Operators have combined to gross more than $14 million year-to-date, with $10.7 million for operators and $3.2 million for couriers, the Commission reported. A state law change in April 2026 allowed cannabis delivery in every city and town unless communities decide to opt out, and delivery licenses are set aside exclusively for equity program participants.

The Commission reported nearly 20,000 registered agents in the adult-use industry as of August 2026, encompassing 15,000 individual employees, and 782 operating businesses, including more than 100 equity-owned and -operated businesses and 91 medical marijuana dispensaries. More than 300 cities and towns were participating in the adult-use market as of September 2026, either by hosting brick-and-mortar businesses or by allowing cannabis delivery. The Social Equity Program has accepted nearly 1,300 participants, providing technical assistance training for people disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition, and almost $60 million in financial assistance has gone to equity licensees since 2024 through the Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund, which is funded by cannabis tax revenue.

Tax Revenue and the Medical Program

Regulated cannabis products sold in Massachusetts adult-use stores are subject to a 6.25% state sales tax and a 10.75% state excise tax, and cities and towns may implement a local option tax of up to 3%, according to the Commission’s Open Data sales page. The Commission does not collect tax revenue from cannabis sales or direct the spending of sales and excise tax revenue.

The Commission reported that $2 billion in state and local taxes has been generated since 2016, supporting substance abuse recovery, police training, the Prevention and Wellness Trust Fund, and restorative justice programs, and that more than $43 million in local option taxes went to cities and towns in fiscal year 2026 alone. According to the state Department of Revenue, cannabis sales, local, and excise taxes generated approximately $336 million in fiscal year 2026; the department reported approximately $280 million in fiscal year 2025. The Commission notes that its published sales data is self-reported, adjusted for voided transactions, and does not represent the Commonwealth’s tax earnings.

The Commission also oversees the Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program, which pre-dates the adult-use market and serves tens of thousands of patients and caregivers. Under state law, certified patients may purchase higher-potency cannabis products and are exempt from sales tax on medical marijuana purchases, and the program provides access to licensed Medical Marijuana Establishments, formerly Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and statewide delivery in all 351 cities and towns. Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers had generated $1.57 billion in gross patient sales since 2019 as of February 2026, according to the Commission’s February announcement.

The Commission approved regulations governing social consumption licenses in December 2025, which will allow consumers to use cannabis in Commission-regulated facilities, and expects to begin accepting applications for the Supplemental License type by the end of 2026. Commissioner Xiomara Albán DeLobato said the sales milestone comes as the Commission prepares to offer the first social consumption licenses to equity applicants, which she described as the first expansion since delivery licenses came online five years ago.

Commissioner Anthony Wilson said the licensees that comprise the adult-use industry deserve congratulations for growing it from scratch and providing a significant return to Massachusetts taxpayers through sales, excise, and local taxes, and that commissioners will continue working to make sure the industry grows carefully, safely, and equitably.

This fall, the Commission said it will use its social media channels to look back on the industry’s growth since voters approved adult-use cannabis in 2016, including data about the industry’s economic contributions across the state. In November 2026, Massachusetts voters will be asked by ballot measure whether they want to repeal adult-use cannabis in the state.