Sales of adult-use marijuana hit the $5 billion mark in Massachusetts, where the executive director of the state’s Cannabis Control Commission shot down an earlier announcement that he is resigning.
Massachusetts cannabis regulators said sales have not slowed as more Northeastern states have implemented adult-use programs, according to the Worcester Business Journal.
In January, the state reached the $4 billion milestone since adult-use sales began in November 2018.
According to the Business Journal, regulators noted that the state’s recreational retailers took in $1 billion between January and August – the fastest that licensed sellers have generated that much in sales.
“Massachusetts continues to hit record sales even as other states have come online,” Shawn Collins, executive director of the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), said in a statement.
“In fact, our neighboring states Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut also had record sales this summer.”
Meanwhile, Collins told the State House News Service that, contrary to a July announcement claiming he was resigning his post at the end of the year, he is actually taking a temporary parental leave.
Collins said that there have been conversations at the CCC about a succession plan for when he does leave.
“So I don’t know what the future holds for me, certainly, but I’m looking forward to clocking in on a daily basis and continuing to do the work alongside the folks that are here at the agency,” he said.
“So that status hasn’t changed. I remain the executive director and have not resigned.”
CCC Chair Shannon O’Brien, who made the resignation announcement, apologized for creating confusion.
The agency held a public hearing for its new cannabis regulations on Friday.
Those regulations focus on making the industry more diverse, creating marijuana lounges and increasing oversight on agreements between cannabis companies and municipalities.
