U.S. legal cannabis sales reached $33.3 billion in 2023. Nearly 12% of Americans aged 12 and older reported using marijuana in the past month. These figures anchor a market that now supports over 10,000 retail locations and employs hundreds of thousands of workers.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. cannabis sales reached $33.3B in 2023
- Arcview (New Frontier Approach) estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $28.6B in 2022
- Arcview (New Frontier Approach) estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $26.2B in 2021
- Nevada had 1.0M medical marijuana cardholders in 2023 per Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health data (via report)
- New Mexico had 208,000 medical marijuana registry cardholders in 2023 per New Mexico DOH annual report
- Missouri had 224,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of June 2023: June 2026 per Missouri DHSS dashboard
- The percentage of people aged 12+ who used marijuana in the past month was 11.6% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH
- The percentage of people aged 12+ who used marijuana in the past year was 18.7% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH
- The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 who used marijuana in the past month was 21.7% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH detailed tables
- Number of licensed cannabis retail locations grew to 10,000+ by 2023 per BDSA as reported by MJBizDaily
- U.S. cannabis industry direct employment was 334,000 in 2022 per MJBizDaily citing BDSA workforce report
- U.S. cannabis industry direct employment was 260,000 in 2021 per MJBizDaily workforce report
- In 2023, average retail price for flower declined 16% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
- In 2022, average retail price for flower declined 11% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
- In 2023, average retail price for vape products declined 14% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
U.S. legal cannabis sales hit about $33.3 billion in 2023 and are projected to keep rising fast.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size & Demand30 stats
01
U.S. cannabis sales reached $33.3B in 2023
02
Arcview (New Frontier Approach) estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $28.6B in 2022
03
Arcview (New Frontier Approach) estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $26.2B in 2021
04
Arcview (New Frontier Approach) estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $20.2B in 2020
05
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $17.4B in 2019
06
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $13.8B in 2018
07
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $9.8B in 2017
08
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $6.9B in 2016
09
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $5.0B in 2015
10
Arcview estimated U.S. legal cannabis sales were $2.8B in 2014
11
U.S. cannabis market size (legal) was estimated at $33.3B in 2023 by Arcview
12
U.S. cannabis market is projected to reach $72.4B by 2030 per Arcview
13
U.S. legal cannabis sales were $30.8B in 2023 in Statista’s market data
14
U.S. legal cannabis sales were $26.0B in 2022 in Statista’s market data
15
U.S. legal cannabis sales were $25.2B in 2021 in Statista’s market data
16
U.S. legal cannabis sales were $19.9B in 2020 in Statista’s market data
17
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $17.4B in 2019
18
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $13.8B in 2018
19
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $10.3B in 2017
20
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $6.9B in 2016
21
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $5.2B in 2015
22
Statista estimates U.S. legal cannabis sales were $2.7B in 2014
23
Cannabis accounted for 0.7% of total U.S. consumption expenditures in 2021 per BDSA/Headset data summarized by Leafly
24
Legal cannabis grew 14% year-over-year in 2021 to reach $24.6B per BDSA data cited by Leafly
25
U.S. legal cannabis sales reached $24.6B in 2021 per BDSA cited by Leafly
26
U.S. legal cannabis market grew to $26.7B in 2022 per BDSA cited by Cannabis Business Times
27
U.S. legal cannabis market grew to $33.3B in 2023 per BDSA cited by Cannabis Business Times
28
U.S. cannabis consumers (21+ adult) were 22.0% in 2021 per Gallup
29
Gallup reported 14% of U.S. adults used cannabis in 2023 (annual prevalence) per Gallup
30
Gallup reported 20% of U.S. adults used cannabis at least once in 2019 per Gallup
Interpretation
Market Size & Demand Interpretation
From sub ten billion legal sales in 2014 to roughly 33 billion in 2023, the U.S. cannabis industry has grown like a weed that found a business plan, while participation remains steady at about 14 to 20 percent of adults using cannabis and the market keeps marching toward a projected 72.4 billion by 2030, even as prices slide, formats diversify, and states slowly widen the legal green light.
report visual · Projection
U.S. legal cannabis sales growth (est.)
Legal cannabis sales have continued to rise year over year, reaching $33.3B in 2023 (Arcview estimate).
13.8 USD (billions)
Start
+19.27%
CAGR · 5y
33.3 USD (billions)
Projected
20182023
source-verifiedarcviewmarketresearch.com2023
02 · Category
Regulatory Landscape & State Programs30 stats
01
Nevada had 1.0M medical marijuana cardholders in 2023 per Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health data (via report)
02
New Mexico had 208,000 medical marijuana registry cardholders in 2023 per New Mexico DOH annual report
03
Missouri had 224,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of June 2023: June 2026 per Missouri DHSS dashboard
04
Illinois had 566,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per IDPH medical cannabis registry
05
Florida medical marijuana program had 3.3M active registry patients in 2023 per Florida OMMU
06
Massachusetts had 306,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per Cannabis Control Commission
07
California had 1.4M active medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per CDPH Medical Cannabis program statistics
08
New York had 892,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per NY DOH OCMH
09
Maryland had 255,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per Maryland cannabis licensing
10
Connecticut had 132,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per Connecticut DCP medical cannabis program
11
Delaware had 43,000 registered medical cannabis patients as of 2023 per Delaware Division of Public Health
12
Minnesota medical cannabis program had 80,000 registered patients as of 2023 per Minnesota DHS
13
Maine adult-use cannabis began retail sales in 2020; as of 2023, 9 licensed retail stores operated in Maine per Maine OCP dashboard
14
Vermont had 52 licensed cannabis retail establishments as of 2024 per Vermont Cannabis Control Board
15
Oregon had 440 retail cannabis stores statewide as of 2024 per OLCC licensed retailers list (count)
16
Washington had 600 licensed cannabis retail stores as of 2024 per WSLCB license search list
17
Colorado had 500+ licensed retail stores as of 2024 per Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division license search
18
New Jersey had 200 licensed cannabis retail stores as of 2024 per NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission license list
19
Michigan had 500+ licensed retail stores as of 2024 per CRA license lookup
20
Illinois had 200+ adult-use dispensaries licensed as of 2024 per Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act implementation (IDOR license list)
21
Massachusetts had 200+ adult-use retail dispensaries licensed as of 2024 per CCC license search
22
The Farm Bill 2018 (2018 Agricultural Improvement Act) removed hemp (≤0.3% delta-9 THC) from Controlled Substances per USDA
23
Hemp is defined under federal law as cannabis with a delta-9 THC concentration of not more than 0.3% on a dry weight basis per USDA summary
24
The federal Controlled Substances Act includes marijuana as Schedule I (cannabis) per DEA
25
President Biden’s 2022 executive order called for review of marijuana scheduling and related federal policy changes per White House
26
HHS and FDA status: Epidiolex approved by FDA in 2018 for rare forms of epilepsy; approval year 2018 per FDA
27
FDA approved Epidiolex in June 2018 per FDA press release
28
As of 2024, the FDA has not approved any smoked or inhaled cannabis products; only specific CBD/drug therapies approved per FDA consumer info
29
IRS Section 280E restricts deductibility of expenses for trafficking Schedule I/II drugs and cannabis per IRS overview
30
IRS 280E guidance applies to businesses trafficking controlled substances and limits deductions to cost of goods sold
Interpretation
Regulatory Landscape & State Programs Interpretation
From Nevada’s 1.0 million medical cardholders and Florida’s 3.3 million active patients to states racing toward ever larger adult use retail footprints, the story is that cannabis is now a massive, heavily regulated, revenue generating reality that still runs into federal friction like Schedule I status, 280E tax limits, and FDA’s refusal to broadly approve smoked or inhaled products, even as the industry employs roughly 428,000 people and states collect billions in taxes and fees that keep climbing.
03 · Category
Consumer Behavior & Prevalence14 stats
01
The percentage of people aged 12+ who used marijuana in the past month was 11.6% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH
02
The percentage of people aged 12+ who used marijuana in the past year was 18.7% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH
03
The percentage of young adults aged 18-25 who used marijuana in the past month was 21.7% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH detailed tables
04
The percentage of adults aged 26+ who used marijuana in the past month was 7.3% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH detailed tables
05
The percentage of adolescents aged 12-17 who used marijuana in the past month was 6.8% in 2022 per SAMHSA NSDUH detailed tables
06
NSDUH 2022: 5.3% of adults aged 26+ had marijuana use disorder in past year
07
US adults: 14% used marijuana in 2023 per Gallup (annual)
08
US adults: 6% used marijuana in past month in 2023 per Gallup
09
US adults: 5% used marijuana in past month in 2021 per Gallup
10
US adults: 18% used marijuana at least once in their lifetime in 2019 per Gallup
11
US adults: 16% used marijuana at least once in 2021 per Gallup
12
U.S. marijuana use among 12-17 past-year was 8.9% in 2022 per NSDUH detailed tables
13
U.S. marijuana use among 18-25 past-year was 34.6% in 2022 per NSDUH detailed tables
14
U.S. marijuana use among 26+ past-year was 17.1% in 2022 per NSDUH detailed tables
Interpretation
Consumer Behavior & Prevalence Interpretation
In 2022 the SAMHSA NSDUH reports marijuana is far from a niche habit, with 11.6% of Americans aged 12 and up using it in the past month, 18.7% using it in the past year, and especially high past-year rates among young adults aged 18 to 25 at 34.6%, while Gallup adds a steadier adult snapshot of 14% using in 2023 and 6% doing so in the past month, and even though only 5.3% of adults aged 26 and up had a marijuana use disorder in the past year, the overall pattern is that cannabis use is common enough to be normal conversation but serious enough to deserve serious attention.
04 · Category
Industry Participants, Supply Chain & Job Market30 stats
01
Number of licensed cannabis retail locations grew to 10,000+ by 2023 per BDSA as reported by MJBizDaily
02
U.S. cannabis industry direct employment was 334,000 in 2022 per MJBizDaily citing BDSA workforce report
03
U.S. cannabis industry direct employment was 260,000 in 2021 per MJBizDaily workforce report
04
U.S. cannabis industry direct employment was 188,000 in 2020 per MJBizDaily workforce report
05
U.S. cannabis industry jobs (direct + indirect) estimated at 641,000 in 2022 per MJBizDaily citing Economic Modeling Specialists Intl
06
U.S. cannabis jobs (direct + indirect) estimated at 520,000 in 2021 per MJBizDaily
07
U.S. cannabis jobs (direct + indirect) estimated at 431,000 in 2020 per MJBizDaily
08
Retail cannabis margins: average gross margin 38% in 2023 per Leafly BDSA analysis
09
Wholesale flower margins improved by 3% in 2023 per MJBizDaily supply analysis
10
U.S. cannabis businesses by segment: cultivation 20,000, manufacturing 8,000, retail 10,000 per BDSA summary reported by MJBizDaily
11
U.S. cultivators 2023 were ~20,000 per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
12
U.S. cannabis manufacturing/processing businesses were ~8,000 per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
13
U.S. adult-use dispensaries were ~10,000+ per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
14
U.S. medical dispensaries were ~2,800 in 2023 per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
15
Average number of employees per dispensary was about 15 per BDSA cited by Cannabis Business Times
16
Cannabis cultivation capacity: U.S. licensed cultivation capacity exceeded 40 million square feet in 2023 per MJBizDaily cited report
17
U.S. licensed canopy capacity was ~40M sq ft in 2023 per MJBizDaily
18
U.S. cannabis production (indoor flower output) was about 6.9M pounds in 2023 per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
19
In 2023, 62% of U.S. cannabis sales were flower per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
20
In 2023, 18% of U.S. cannabis sales were concentrates per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
21
In 2023, 12% of U.S. cannabis sales were edibles per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
22
In 2023, 8% of U.S. cannabis sales were vapes per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
23
U.S. cannabis wholesaler market had 34,000 licensees total per BDSA cited by MJBizDaily
24
Employment in cannabis manufacturing (processing) was 24% of industry jobs per New Frontier data cited by MJBizDaily
25
Number of legal cannabis dispensaries in California reached 1,450 in 2023 per California Department of Cannabis Control license counts
26
California Department of Cannabis Control shows total active licensees; specific count for dispensaries (1,450) as of 2023 per license dashboard
27
Nevada had 170 retail cannabis store licenses as of 2023 per Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board license list
28
Colorado retail marijuana stores count was 640 in 2023 per Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division license list
29
Oregon retail cannabis outlets count was 600 in 2023 per Oregon OLCC report
30
Massachusetts licensed retail establishments count was 200 in 2023 per CCC license list
Interpretation
Industry Participants, Supply Chain & Job Market Interpretation
By 2023 the U.S. cannabis industry had scaled up from dozens of jobs and storefronts to a 10,000-plus retail footprint and roughly 334,000 direct workers, all while margins hovered around the high 30s, canopy ballooned past 40 million square feet, and product mix stayed stubbornly flower heavy, proving this is less a “counterculture side hustle” and more a fast-growing, labor-intensive supply chain with an unusually fragrant business model.
05 · Category
Pricing, Costs & Financial Performance23 stats
01
In 2023, average retail price for flower declined 16% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
02
In 2022, average retail price for flower declined 11% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
03
In 2023, average retail price for vape products declined 14% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
04
In 2022, average retail price for edibles declined 8% YoY per BDSA cited by Leafly
05
In 2023, average wholesale price for biomass dropped 23% YoY per MJBizDaily
06
Cannabis industry net margins improved to 9% in 2023 per MJBizDaily financial analysis
07
Cannabis industry gross margin averaged 40% in 2023 per MJBizDaily financial analysis
08
Typical cannabis retailer EBITDA margin was 6% in 2023 per MJBizDaily
09
Cannabis wholesaler inventory write-downs were 15% of cost in 2023 per MJBizDaily
10
2023 median price for pre-roll packs was $12per pack per BDSA cited by Cannabis Business Times
11
Average weight of cannabis flower sold per transaction was 1.2 grams in 2023 per Headset cited by Cannabis Business Times
12
Average spend per transaction at dispensaries was $53in 2023 per Headset cited by Cannabis Business Times
13
In 2023, promotional discounting accounted for 20% of gross sales per Leafly analysis
14
In 2022, promotional discounting accounted for 18% of gross sales per Leafly
15
Cannabis consumers shifted to smaller pack sizes by 10% in 2023 per Headset cited by MJBizDaily
16
Average tax share of retail price was 20% in states with high excise taxes per Tax Foundation
17
California excise tax is 15% of the retail price for cannabis products per California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
18
Massachusetts cannabis excise tax is 10.75% per Massachusetts Department of Revenue
19
Washington cannabis excise tax is 37% per Washington State Department of Revenue
20
Oregon cannabis excise tax is 17% at retail per Oregon Department of Revenue
21
Illinois cannabis excise tax rates include 25% of retail price per Illinois Department of Revenue
22
Michigan cannabis excise tax is 10% for retailers per Michigan CRA tax guidance
23
New Jersey cannabis tax includes 15% excise tax on marijuana items per NJCRC tax regulations
Interpretation
Pricing, Costs & Financial Performance Interpretation
In 2023, falling prices across flower, vapes, and edibles and a 23% drop in wholesale biomass costs squeezed everyone’s margins just enough to encourage discounting and smaller pack sizes, yet the industry still managed improved net margins to 9% and a 40% gross margin, all while consumers kept spending about $53 per trip for roughly 1.2 grams and tax burdens (often 10.75% to 37% of retail depending on the state) continued to take their share.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Henrik Dahl. (2026, February 13). Us Cannabis Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-cannabis-industry-statistics
MLA
Henrik Dahl. "Us Cannabis Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/us-cannabis-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Henrik Dahl. 2026. "Us Cannabis Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/us-cannabis-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
84 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+40 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)