The medical marijuana industry in Maryland has ended its first year of operation with a doozy. The state has seen $96.3 million in sales with the help of almost 52,000 medical marijuana patients who bought around 730,000 individual products.
“This is significant business for the first 12 months, considering it’s a ramp-up period and there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” said Joy Strand, executive director of the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission. She added, “That is great progress.”
As many as 250 to 350 patients have applied every day to have access to medical marijuana in the state.
The first day of medical marijuana sales began on December 1st of last year. While the market only started with eight retail stores, it now has 71 dispensaries with 31 more pending approval to sell to a growing patient population.
The commission has also found these statistics in the state’s first year of selling. 1. 4,659 people are registered as caregivers 2. 1,187 medical professionals are authorized to prescribe cannabis, with 730 physicians making up the majority of prescribers, ahead of nurse practitioners, dentists and podiatrists. 3. 29,425 patients are diagnosed to use cannabis for “severe pain.” 4. minors and 163 hospice patients are certified to obtain cannabis And 5. 1.99 million transactions have been recorded by dispensaries.
