Legal recreational marijuana sales took a long time to get off the ground in Washington. Almost two years after Washington voters passed I-502, implementation is still slow. However, more stores are opening, more growers are harvesting, and more edible companies are starting. Sales numbers are out which show how much legal recreational marijuana Washington has sold since sales started in early July. Per The News Tribune:
And in the latest financial data available in Washington, state Liquor Control Board spokesman Brian Smith reported Thursday that from opening day in July through the end of September, the state has collected $4,806,452 in excise taxes from the growing, processing and retail sales of marijuana.
This figure is based on total sales at all three levels of $19,225,808.
September total sales for production, processing and retail were $8.5 million, with $5,781,656 marked by retail sales alone.
While those numbers are good, Washington still has a long ways to go to fully implement marijuana legalization. Imagine what the sales numbers will be when there are over 300 stores open, and all growers and producers are at full capacity. My home State of Oregon will hopefully legalize marijuana next month, and hopefully Washington D.C. and Alaska too. Why isn’t every state doing this?
