2022

Analysts estimate the overall cannabis market for legal adult-use and medical sales in North America reached $35 billion in 2022 with the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) at about 20% and as more states legalize cannabis for recreational use and existing markets mature, will grow to $46.5 billion five years later based on the Arcview Market Research report.

38 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws, and 21 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and Canada allow cannabis for recreational use.

2021

The North America legal cannabis market amounted to about $30 billion in 2021, growing by almost 50 percent on the year. The largest market was the United States, which totaled almost $25 billion. It was followed by Canada with over $4 billion.

38 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws, and 19 states and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis for recreational use.

2020

BDSA’s global legal cannabis forecast shows that cannabis sales in North America for 2020 reaching more than $20 billion, while cannabis market in the United States and Canada is estimated to be about $17.5 billion and almost $2.7 billion.

37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws, and 19 states and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis for recreational use.

2019

Cannabis legalization is sweeping over North America – 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have effective medical cannabis laws and 11 States and the District of Columbia now allow cannabis for recreational use, and full legalization came to Canada in October 2018.

The North America legal cannabis market amounted to almost $14 billion in 2019, growing by almost 30 percent on the year. The largest market was the United States, which totaled $12.2 billion. It was followed by Canada with about $1.7 billion.

2018

There are about 10,000 active licenses for cannabis businesses in the U.S., according to Statista. This includes cultivation, extraction and manufacturing, retail, distribution and testing licenses.

The North America legal cannabis market reached $10.8 billion in 2018, growing by 20 percent on the year.

2017

Legal cannabis market reached $9.2 billion in North America in 2017, according to a report from cannabis industry analysts Arcview Market Research, in partnership with BDS Analytics. That represents an unprecedented 33% increase over 2016.

The industry employed 121,000 people in 2017. If cannabis continues its growth trajectory, the number of workers in that field could reach 292,000 by 2021, according to BDS Analytics.

2016

The legal cannabis industry accelerated at a remarkable pace in 2016. North American  consumers spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis products, up 34% from 2015. The 34% compound annual growth rate was driven primarily by Colorado and Washington initiating adult-use sales.

California accounted for 27% of the 2016 legal market in North America, Colorado represented 20% and Washington represented 11%.

On 9 November, 2016, three new states approved cannabis medical using: Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota, while four others that already had medical cannabis laws, legalized recreational.

North America Cannabis Legal Market Infographics