Massachusetts’ medical marijuana industry is worried the MMJ supply will dry up once the state begins legal recreational sales in July.
According to Masslive.com, industry analysts are convinced there won’t be enough cannabis to support both markets, citing supply problems in other states that added adult-use programs, including Nevada and Washington.
Industry watchers believe it will take too long for businesses to develop a robust supply source to meet the demand for two customer bases.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Twenty-two dispensaries sell medical marijuana, and nine more are in the final stage of the approval process.
- The state has 46,300 registered MMJ patients. According to Masslive.com, those patients consume 29,000 ounces of marijuana a month. There is no data on how much cannabis the state’s cultivators produce.
- Twelve of the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries grow their own cannabis. More cultivation licenses have been issued, but industry watchers anticipate only about two dozen growers will be operational by June.
- There’s no estimate on how many applications will be submitted for recreational licenses in April. Licenses are slated to be issued June 1.
- New cultivation facilities won’t have an immediate impact on the supply, however. According to Masslive.com, it can be 18 months to three years before new cultivators actually harvest marijuana crops.
