California’s Legal Marijuana Sales Estimated at $2.5 Billion in 2018

By Associated Press

(AP) — After one year of broad legal sales, California’s marijuana marketplace remains in transition, as companies adapt to new rules and illegal operators continue to flourish. A snapshot of the emerging legal economy:

— Estimated 2018 sales at licensed dispensaries and delivery services: $2.5 billion

— Number of cultivation licenses: 4,795

— Number of retail stores: 531

— Distributors: 996

— Testing labs: 52

— Sales at dispensaries by category:
    – flowers: 39%
    – concentrates: 33%
    – edibles: 16%
    – pre-rolled: 8%
    – topicals: 2%
    – accessories: 2%

Sources: California Bureau of Cannabis Control; California Department of Food and Agriculture; BDS Analytics

AP Photo/Noah Berger