Mother Earth retail facility in Pawtucket. PHOTO: Will Morgan for GoLocal
In the first six months of 2025, cannabis retail sales in Rhode Island were $68.7 million.
The first half of 2025 was functionally a mirror image of the first half of retail sales in 2024.
The data shows a stagnant state-regulated industry — and that claims it would dramatically grow over time were overinflated.
One concern for retailers may be that the “average ticket” has declined.
In 2024, the average transaction was $36.19 — that declined to $34.99, a dangerous trend for an emerging industry.
Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) officials put their spin on the data.
“This quarter’s data reflects a stable and maturing marketplace,” said Kim Ahern, Chair of the Commission. “We remain focused on thoughtful oversight, strong regulatory compliance, and an equitable approach to cannabis regulation in Rhode Island.”
CCC Chief Financial Officer, Kelly Verte, added, “With each passing quarter, we are enhancing our understanding of sales cycles, category, and market growth. These emerging trends underscore the necessity for ongoing data-driven oversight to effectively support a self-sustaining regulatory commission.”
Trends across the country are mixed for states that have legalized retail sales.
In Massachusetts, sales have increased by single digits each year.
The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) announced in July that adult-use Marijuana Establishments surpassed $8 billion in gross sales since legalization after a record-breaking first half of 2025, according to sales data.
The $8 billion milestone came amid a record-breaking first half of 2025, with gross sales totaling $806 million between January and June. The Massachusetts cannabis industry also set monthly gross sales records during that time in January ($133.2 million), April ($134.5 million), and May ($142.3 million) for those months.
“The Commission is glad to see the Commonwealth achieve another adult-use cannabis sales milestone, which demonstrates that consumers continue to have confidence in the safety and security of the regulated market,” Executive Director Travis Ahern said. “As we anticipate the arrival of Social Consumption businesses – an entirely new license category – in the coming months, we look forward to increasing economic growth for Massachusetts.”
Massachusetts’s population is 6 times larger than Rhode Island's, but it has about 14 times the monthly cannabis sales.
