Cannabis Industry Statistics

Gain insight into the cannabis industry and cannabis payroll and HR statistics.

On average, cannabis companies paid over $1.8 billion more in federal taxes compared to non-cannabis companies. (Greenburg Glusker)
Between 2020 and 2030, the cannabis industry will pay approximately $65.3 billion in taxes. (MJ Biz Daily)
For jobs in the cannabis industry, salaries increased by 4.7% beating the national average of non-cannabis businesses of 4.1%. (Benzinga)
In 2021, there was an average of 280 cannabis jobs created every day in the United States. (Leafly)
86% of cannabis companies anticipated hiring new employees in 2024. (Cannabis Business Times)
Two-thirds of retail cannabis companies are planning on hiring five or more employees in 2024. (Cannabis Business Times)
Driven by growth opportunities in Michigan, Missouri, and Illinois, there was a 5.4% growth in cannabis jobs between 2023 and 2024. (flowhub)
The legal cannabis industry represents 440,445 full-time equivalents. (Ganjapreneur)
An estimated two-thirds of cannabis businesses operate as cash-only businesses, making them open to compliance risks from agencies such as the IRS, DHS, OSHA, and USDA, as well as state-based cannabis regulatory agencies. Cannabis businesses should consider utilizing a specialized cannabis payroll solution to help ensure payroll and tax compliance while reducing regulatory risk. (Forbes)

Cannabis dispensaries that accepted debit payments handled 59% more transactions than those that only accepted cash, with each debit card transaction averaging $13 more than cash-only transactions. (flowhub)
Projected retail sales for cannabis are expected to reach $56.9 billion USD in 2028. (MJ Biz Daily)
In nine states, cannabis sales generate higher tax revenue than alcohol. (flowhub)
In 2023, online cannabis sales grew by 80%. (alpharoot)
In the United States, there are roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries. (Pew Research Center)
In the United States, there are more than 300 publicly traded cannabis companies. (alpharoot)

In the United States, recreational use of marijuana is legal in 24 states and Washington D.C. (NCSL)
California became the first state to legalize medical use of marijuana in 1996. (Department of Cannabis Control)
In 2012, Colorado and Washington State became the first two states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. (Marijuana Policy Project)
Oklahoma leads the United States in the number of marijuana dispensaries per capita, with 36 dispensaries for every 100,000 residents. (Pew Research Center)
California boasts the highest number of dispensaries in the country, with 3,659 locations, more than twice as many as the state with the second-most.
(Pew Research Center)
74% of Americans live in a state where medical or recreational cannabis use is legal and 54% of Americans live in a state where recreational use of cannabis is legal. (Forbes)

45% of Americans have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime. (Gallup)
Over three-quarters of Americans live in a county in which there is a marijuana dispensary. (flowhub)
The average American (cannabis consumer) spends $645 a year on cannabis products. (Headset)
Millennials are currently the largest group of marijuana users while Gen Z is the fastest growing group of marijuana users. (flowhub)
Gen Z and Millennials collectively account for 62.8% of all cannabis sales in the US, as well as 70.8% of all vapor pen sales. (Marijuana Venture)