By The Arizona Department of Revenue recently released new data on reported cannabis sales in June and July.
Medical marijuana sales begin in Arizona December 2012while recreational marijuana sales began in Arizona. January 2021However, recent data shows that both industries are experiencing a gradual decline in sales.
For medical marijuana, sales in June fell to $28 million, followed by a downward trend in July to $26.1 million. arizona mirror This is reported as the lowest number of medical marijuana sales since recreational marijuana sales began. Within the last 30 months, his medical marijuana sales have been below his $30 million mark only five times, and all of those were recorded in 2023. This includes his January, February, May, June, and July months, but does not include March and his April sales, which remained above $30 million. became.
The highest amount of medical marijuana sales ever collected by the state was $73.4 million in April 2021, with other monthly sales data showing declines in sales, including $40 million in July 2022.
This steady decline in medical sales is paralleled by a modest increase in recreational sales. Recreational sales in March 2023 reached $99.9 million, and recreational sales in April reached $90.1 million. However, sales data for June showed a decline to $85 million, followed by $77 million in July.
The total amount raised from cannabis sales in 2022 was $1.4 billion ($500 million for medical and $9.5 million for recreational). Since January 2021, the state has collected $1.5 billion in medical marijuana sales, with recreational marijuana sales exceeding $2.2 billion during the same period.
Year-to-date data shows Arizona has collected a total of $207 million in medical marijuana sales and $621 million in recreational marijuana sales from January to July so far. .
So far, data reviews how recreational cannabis has reached new heights while medical cannabis sales have gradually declined, but both markets are expected to grow by March 2023. Since then, there has been an overall downward trend.
According to state excise tax data, recreational cannabis has generated more than $208.2 million in 2023 (so far), which is an increase compared to 2021 excise tax data. The department shows adult-use cannabis generated $32.9 million over 11 years. Overall, Arizona collects more than $360 million in cannabis excise taxes.
State law requires that one-third of cannabis sales taxes go to community colleges and 31% to public safety, law enforcement and fire departments. Plus, you get 25%. Arizona Highway User Revenue Fund, distributed to various cities and towns to improve highway construction and other related expenses. Finally, a 10% cannabis tax will be collected. justice reinvestment fundwhich can be used for various substance abuse programs and workforce development, as well as to accomplish other objectives such as helping residents expunge their criminal records.
Cannabis patient card number is Arizona Department of Health Services, recently reported that it had 126,938 cardholders in July and 124,496 in August. The state recorded the highest number of cardholders in January 2021 with 299,054 patients. The department also shared that medical marijuana patients purchased 4,719 pounds of various cannabis products during August. Between January and August, patients purchased £37,979.
Although sales of medical marijuana have declined, that hasn’t stopped patients from using it to treat a variety of medical conditions. In March, a bill was introduced that would add autism and post-traumatic stress disorder to the list. Eligibility conditionspassed by the House of Representatives in June.
One year ago in 2022, more than 1,450 Arizonans were pardoned from previous federal marijuana possession convictions from 1992 to 2021, as directed by an executive order issued by President Joe Biden. Arizona attorney Jonathan Udell said it’s a welcome change for people who have had convictions on their records for decades. “I think there are a lot of people who really feel the pain of being labeled as law-abiding citizens,” Udell said. “This sends a very big message to those people that just because you once smoked a plant that grew out of the ground or had grass in your pocket, you’re not a bad person. .”
While the industry is closely monitoring the performance of both medical and recreational cannabis, other substances being studied for medical use continue to grow. In early May of this year, an Arizona military veteran faced prison time for trying to treat his cluster headaches with DMT. “This is the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life,” Leche said of his headaches. “When I actually have a headache, nothing relieves it like DMT. It stops the headache right away. A mild jolt stops the headache for about an hour to an hour and a half. A bigger hit stops it for about an hour to an hour and a half. If you get a headache, it can last longer, but some headaches last for hours, so you may need to take a few hits during that episode. But the pain will go away. The amount I smoked to stop was not high enough to be psychoactive.” DMT is currently illegal in Arizona.
Psilocybin is also illegal in the state, although legislation was recently introduced to allow research into the substance.
