Maryland Cannabis Sales Surge on First Day of Recreational Legalization

MARYLAND – Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in Maryland on July 1st, dispensaries have experienced quadrupling sales, according to WJLA.

Warren Lemley, President of Peake ReLeaf, reported a significant increase in customer traffic at his dispensary in Rockville on Saturday, with the majority of customers purchasing recreational cannabis.

“Be able to actually access it [cannabis] safely and get something that’s tested and regulated,” Lemley said. “But they can also not be worried about ending up in a jail cell, and potentially losing their job or housing.”

“It’s been a lot of, I’d say, problems within our institutions especially regarding drugs,” said Dawson Martin-Jones, a customer in line at Peake Releaf. “But now we have opportunities to smoke our weed and get our medicine right.”

While most dispensaries catered to recreational users last weekend, medical patients were able to skip the long lines via medical express lines and designated medical sales hours.

“It’s so wonderful to be part of this moment,” said Lemley. “It’s so great, that you know, we don’t have to see people get arrested for something like, cannabis use, seeing lives ruined from cannabis use, and you know, just the excitement that we’ve been seeing from everybody, it’s been incredible.”