Mass. cannabis sales topped $1b for 3rd straight year in ’23

Looking to sidestep controversy over the Cannabis Control Commission’s leadership, state cannabis regulators are highlighting the increasing profitability of the industry in Massachusetts while discussing their work to implement a state law promoting diversity in the sector and creating a path for social consumption sites.

The industry hit a milestone last week, with adult-use retailers generating a cumulative $6 billion in gross revenues since operations began in 2018, Acting CCC Chair Ava Callender Concepcion said during an annual “State of Cannabis” event Thursday. On April 20, considered a holiday for cannabis enthusiasts, the Bay State industry logged its best-ever sales day, bringing in $8.5 million in sales.

“The industry continues to grow here in the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” Concepcion said. “This past December was a record-breaking month of sales where we brought in more than $114 million in revenue. 2023 was also the highest-grossing year since the industry became operational in 2018. This has now been the third consecutive year where Massachusetts retailers have surpassed $1 billion in revenue in a single calendar year.”

During the briefing, regulators discussed licensing, enforcement, research, and equity efforts, explaining how the agency grew from having a handful of employees six years ago to a 143person staff. Without invoking suspended CCC Chairman Shannon O’Brien by name, Concepcion only briefly acknowledged the ongoing saga with Treasurer Deb Goldberg.

“I think if anyone has been sort of paying attention to recent events, there’s a lot of attention that is focused on the commissioners and the commission, but the CCC is a lot more than that,” Concepcion said. “And I’m really happy because you all will get the opportunity to hear from some of our staff about their work and their commitment.”

The commission’s top internal priority is finding the body’s next executive director, she said. Shawn Collins, the only executive director the CCC has had, resigned in December.

More than 600 cannabis licensees are operating in Massachusetts, with hundreds more applicants looking to join various aspects of the industry from “seed to sale,” said Matt Giancola, the CCC’s director of government affairs and policy. He said that only about 30 licensees have closed their operations.

Over the last year, Giancola said regulators have been busy implementing Chapter 180, the 2022 cannabis industry reform law, including crafting new regulations dealing with host community agreements between marijuana businesses and municipalities, as well as developing the local-option social pot consumption program for cities and towns.

“We are going to be engaged with cities and towns to a much greater degree than we have in the past,” Giancola said.

Reflecting on his travels around Massachusetts, Commissioner Bruce Stebbins said there’s a “strong interest” in the social consumption license, including the pending regulatory framework.

“We’re working on that framework, and we want to hopefully provide a framework that will have an innovative and lucrative license type for anybody who applies, as well as safeguarding public health and safety for the benefit of the commonwealth,” Stebbins said. “We’ve created — this commission, our predecessors on the commission created — a strong sense of trust with a large majority of residents across Massachusetts, who are comfortable and confident in the way that we rolled out adult-use and medical-use cannabis. And we owe everyone a thoughtful and successful approach to this license type, as well.”