Massachusetts just crossed a massive line. Adult-use cannabis buyers in the state have now spent more than $9 billion on legal marijuana since the first shops opened in 2018, state regulators announced this week.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission said the milestone came on February 4. In just over six years, legal recreational sales have soared past $9 billion. The state collected $1.65 billion in 2024 alone, and 2025 is already off to a fast start with $151 million in sales through early February.
One quirky detail caught everyone’s attention. Sales spiked right before a major snowstorm hit New England in late January. Regulators noted shoppers rushed to stock up ahead of the heavy snow, proving bad weather still drives classic “storm supplies” runs, now including legal cannabis.
From Zero Shops to a Booming Market
Massachusetts voters said yes to recreational marijuana in 2016. The first two stores finally opened in November 2018 after long delays over rules and licensing. Since then the market has exploded.
Today more than 370 retail stores operate across the state. Eastern Massachusetts still leads in total sales, but western parts of the state and the Cape have seen the fastest growth in new shops. Small towns that once fought dispensaries now welcome the tax money.
Jobs, Tax Money, and Shifting Away from the Black Market
State leaders love to point out what the billions really mean.
- Thousands of people now work full-time in growing, testing, selling, and delivering cannabis.
- Cities and towns have received hundreds of millions in local tax revenue.
- Every legal purchase pulls another customer away from risky street dealers.
“Every billion-dollar milestone reminds us this industry creates real jobs and moves people to safer, tested products,” said CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien.
The state charges a 10.75% excise tax plus regular sales tax on recreational weed. That money helps fund everything from schools to road repairs to drug prevention programs.
How Massachusetts Stacks Up Against Other States
| State | Years of Adult-Use Sales | Total Sales (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7 years | $30+ billion |
| Colorado | 11 years | $18+ billion |
| Washington | 11 years | $17+ billion |
| Massachusetts | 6 years | $9 billion |
| Illinois | 5 years | $8 billion |
| Michigan | 6 years | $12+ billion |
Massachusetts stays near the top for per-person spending even though it started later than West Coast states and has fewer people than California.
Snowstorms and 4/20: What Still Moves the Needle
Regulators say two things still cause huge sales jumps every year. Big winter storms push people to stock up just like they buy milk and bread. And April 20, the unofficial cannabis holiday, still brings record single-day numbers across the state.
The recent pre-storm rush in January showed the market has matured. Shoppers now treat cannabis like any other household item they don’t want to run out of when snow piles up.
The $9 billion mark lands as Massachusetts keeps tweaking its rules. Lawmakers just passed changes to let cities share more tax money with neighbors that host cannabis shops. Delivery services keep expanding. And social consumption cafes, places where adults can smoke or eat cannabis on-site, may finally open this year.
For everyday people the milestone hits home in simple ways. Legal weed has become normal. Parents buy it after work. Seniors use it for sleep or pain. Young adults choose tested products over whatever their friend sells. And every purchase chips away at the old underground market that used to fund gangs and bad actors.
Massachusetts proved a tightly regulated system can still grow fast and bring in serious money for public services. Six years in, the experiment voters approved back in 2016 looks more like a permanent shift than a test run.
