Record sales of cannabis in the United States in July

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, cannabis sales are setting new records in the United States in States that have legalized recreational cannabis.

California, 348 million 1Q-4Q

California set a record for cannabis sales of $348 million (€295 million) in July, the strongest month since the legal market opened in 2018. The previous record was set last March, when the clinics were swamped at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. That month, sales were just under 332 million $. So far this year, only January has remained below 300 million $, at 299.9 million $.

Colorado, +$210 million Q1-Q4

In June, the state of Colorado recorded its highest-ever cannabis sales at $198.9 million and collected $33.62 million in sales and business taxes from the cannabis industry. While July’s sales figures are not yet available, the state’s tax reports for the month indicate that it collected $36.13 million in taxes, suggesting that sales significantly exceeded those of the previous month.

Illinois, 61 million 1Q-4Q

Illinois saw another record month for recreational cannabis sales in July. The state reported nearly $61 million in adult-use cannabis sales, breaking the previous record set in June of nearly $47 million. For the first time, more than 1 million items—1,270,063 to be exact—were purchased during the monthly reporting period.

Illinois residents accounted for $44,749,787 in cannabis sales, while out-of-state visitors purchased $16,207,193 worth of cannabis.

Oregon, 106 million 1Q-4Q

Cannabis sales in Oregon also reached a new monthly record in July, at just over $106 million, surpassing the previous record of $103 million set in May and representing a 45% increase compared to 2019 sales. Through July, annual sales totaled $623 million, up 43% from 2019.

Approximately 90% of these sales were made in the recreational market, where the state imposes a tax of 17%. The remaining 10% are medical sales, which are not taxed.