Connecticut cannabis sales slide in September
- Connecticut's cannabis market experienced a 12% decline in sales during September, with total sales dropping to $23.4 million from $25.7 million in August.
- Recreational sales fell by 7.6% to $16.6 million, while medical sales dropped by 10.9% to $6.8 million.
- The average price per gram of cannabis decreased from $12.16 in August to $11.61 in September, partially due to increased promotional activity.
- Competition from neighboring states like Massachusetts and New York, along with a lack of product variety, continues to challenge Connecticut's cannabis industry.
Connecticut’s cannabis market experienced a 12% decline in sales during September, according to state data released last week.
Total cannabis sales fell to $23.4 million in September from $25.7 million in August, the Department of Health and Human Services reported. Both recreational and medical cannabis sectors slid during the month.
Recreational sales dipped 7.6% to $16.6 million, while medical sales took a harder hit, dropping 10.9% to $6.8 million.
Ben Zachs, owner of Fine Fettle dispensary, said the decline was steeper than expected.
“Our metrics showed that, just in terms of fundamentals, September should have been a month that was about 8.5% below August, but to see 12% was not what we’d love to necessarily see as we’re trying to build this market up,” Zachs told CT Insider.
The average price per gram of cannabis also fell from $12.16 in August to $11.61 in September. Zachs attributed this partly to increased promotional activity in the market.
Competition from neighboring states continues to challenge Connecticut’s cannabis industry, according to CT Insider. Massachusetts is dealing with an oversupply that has kept its prices low, while New York’s legal market is slowly expanding despite several hurdles holding it back.
“There’s just not the variety of choice yet in the market, which I think will come,” Zachs said, according to the news outlet.
The September decline follows a strong summer for Connecticut’s cannabis market. August saw record-breaking sales of $25.6 million, with recreational sales hitting $17.9 million. The state also recorded its highest number of individual cannabis products sold at 687,384 in August, Green Market Report noted last month.
Since the launch of recreational sales in January 2023, prices in the state have remained relatively stable. The average price per gram started at $12.32 and reached a low of $9.68 in September 2023, according to state stats cited by GMR.
The recent opening of seven new dispensaries in the state adds another layer to the equation.