Mobile Menu

Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Christopher Lombardo Christopher Lombardo New York, United States Last Updated: November 2025 NAICS OD4142

Revenue

$33.6bn

2025

$33.6bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$X.Xbn

Employees

104k

Businesses

16,077

Wages

$X.Xbn

Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US industry analysis

The legal cannabis dispensary industry has experienced an extraordinary transformation over the past five years. With the map of legalization rapidly redrawn, the number of dispensaries more than doubled as new states embraced medical and adult-use markets. Waves of newly issued licenses, broadened product suites, and rising consumer acceptance have pushed the sector to outpace economic growth. Expansion hasn’t just been about higher store counts or increased revenue. It has fundamentally altered the industry structure. The competitive landscape now features a vibrant tapestry of independents and multistate companies, and the regulatory patchwork has ensured that each local market maintains its unique flavor and complexity. Revenue has been climbing at a CAGR of 10.2% over the past five years, rising 6.0% in 2025 to reach $33.6 billion.

Trends and Insights

  • Legalization waves ignite explosive dispensary growth. New state policies and license frameworks keep opening markets, unleashing waves of pent-up demand and fueling rapid expansion. As each region rolls out access, both competitive intensity and customer spend shift in surprising ways.
  • Flower remains dispensaries’ revenue anchor, but adaptation is key. Retailers protect flower’s dominance with premium lines, loyalty exclusives and swisebundling, leveraging consumer rituals to drive traffic and cross-category exploration. Creative execution turns flower fans into more valuable, repeat customers.
  • Regional policies and urban density shape dispensary landscapes nationwide. The Southwest leads with dense clusters driven by rapid legalization and tourism, while the West rides early adoption and mature supply chains for robust growth. In contrast, the Southeast lags, limited by cautious laws and a focus on tightly regulated medical markets.
  • Buyers gain power as choice and quality become key. Consumers increasingly shop based on price, quality and product variety, but their strength fluctuates by region, especially in states with limited dispensary options. Building loyalty and offering differentiated products helps dispensaries counter rising buyer power in a competitive market.
Show more

Get more expert insights that help you cut through the noise.

Get fast answers to complex questions about your business or your client’s industry. Annual memberships include unlimited access to data and analysis for thousands of industries globally.

Get in Touch

Unlock Expert Insights with Full Platform Access

  • Human Driven & Verified Analysis
  • Structured Database Powering Workflows
  • Intelligent Tools Empowering Confident Decisions
  • Insight where-and how- you need them

How you can access insights on the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US industry

The Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US Industry Report is available in multiple formats to fit seamlessly into your workflow.

IBISWorld Platform

Answer any industry question in minutes with our entire database at your fingertips.

Screen of the IBISWorld platform user interface Book a demo

API Data Delivery

Feed trusted, human-driven industry intelligence straight into your platform.

Code example of using the IBISWorld API API documentation

Integrations

Streamline your workflow with IBISWorld’s intelligence built into your toolkit.

Screen of Client Application integrating with IBISWorld data View integrations

Related Coverage

Understand the landscape with full access to an IBISWorld license

Competitors

  • There are no industries to display.

Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 10.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $33.6bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

State legalization waves and license policies fuel explosive dispensary growth

  • Since 2020, dispensaries have grown from 6,170 to 16,077 locations, with spikes in annual growth like 33.4% coinciding with major state legalizations and expanded medical access. Each rollout unleashed pent-up demand, with revenue jumping 27.9% in 2021 before settling into a steadier mid-single-digit climb as new entrants joined the field.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Federal policy normalization will radically transform dispensary economics and competition

  • As mainstream banking and Section 280E relief arrive, capex and working capital costs are set to plummet. Easier access to conventional lending, mortgage credit, and securitization will empower operators to upgrade infrastructure, consolidate through acquisition and accelerate automation—all on more favorable terms than today's ad-hoc risk premiums.

Biggest companies in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue
2025
Profit
2025
Profit Margin (%)
2025

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US industry.

Products & Services Segmentation

Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Edibles, Flower products and Beverages, concentrates and others. Edibles is the largest segment of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US.

Trends and Insights

Flower remains dispensaries’ revenue anchor while evolving to competition

  • Flower accounted for 43.9% of dispensary revenue in 2025, securing its dominance through consumer rituals, broad appeal and rapid home consumption during the pandemic. Even as wholesale prices fell with expanded supply, premiumization and convenience formats—like pre-rolls and travel-sized jars—helped preserve shelf space and relevance.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This industry includes stores that retail medical marijuana (by prescription only) and recreational marijuana. However, the legal sale of recreational marijuana is currently limited to the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington and Washington, DC.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States include Edibles and ingestibles, Pre-rolls, Accessories, Topicals, Flower, Cartridges and Concentrates.

Companies

Companies covered in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States include .

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States include dispenary, cannabis and edibles.

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 453998 - Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Legalization waves ignite explosive dispensary growth. New state policies and license frameworks keep opening markets, unleashing waves of pent-up demand and fueling rapid ex...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Flower remains dispensaries’ revenue anchor, but adaptation is key. Retailers protect flower’s dominance with premium lines, loyalty exclusives and swisebundling, leveraging ...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Regional policies and urban density shape dispensary landscapes nationwide. The Southwest leads with dense clusters driven by rapid legalization and tourism, while the West r...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Buyers gain power as choice and quality become key. Consumers increasingly shop based on price, quality and product variety, but their strength fluctuates by region, especial...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

There are no companies that hold a market share exceeding 5% in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores in the US industry.

Analyst insights

There are no major companies in the industry. Since marijuana is not legal at the federal level, differing state laws make it difficult for any one dispensary to capture a si...

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Medical and recreational marijuana stores are subject to very heavy regulation from federal, state and local governments. However, there is a high great degree of regulatory ...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Rising employment and compliance costs put pressure on profit. Rapid expansion, state regulations, and omnichannel models climb wage expenses outpacing revenue and squeezing ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
  • Income Statement (2018-2023)
  • Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2018-2023)
  • Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States in 2025?

The market size of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States is $33.6bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States in 2025?

There are 16,077 businesses in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 21.1 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States?

The Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States?

The Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 10.2 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States is expected to grow.

What does the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States include?

Edibles and ingestibles and Pre-rolls are part of the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States.

How competitive is the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Medical & Recreational Marijuana Stores industry in the United States.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

feedback