Higher Healing: Medical Marijuana Revenue Statistics

You’ve probably encountered cannabis at least once in your life. You’ve certainly heard about the dangers of marijuana as a gateway drug to harder drugs.

But you’ve probably also heard about the benefits of marijuana, and how it can actually be used for medicinal purposes.

While some still argue on whether or not different weed strains should be available on pharmacy shelves, 40 states, together with Washington DC and three US territories had already done it by 2025, and they're making a fine profit out of it.

So instead of focusing on the pros and cons of the plant itself, we turn our heads to the hard data and offer you some insight into how profitable the industry is and will become.

Key Medical Marijuana Statistics for 2026 - Editor's Choice

• 7.9 out of 10 Americans lived in a county with at least one cannabis dispensary in 2025.
• The US cannabidiol industry is worth $24.61 billion in 2026.
• There are more than 3.65 million registered medical marijuana patients in the US.
• The cannabis industry in the United States employed 425,002 people in 2025.
• North America dominates the medical marijuana market with a 91.7% market share.

The medical marijuana industry revenue in 2026 is projected to reach $48.13 billion.

(Statista)

The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.8%, and is expected to reach $48.13 billion by 2026.

79% of Americans had access to medical marijuana in 2025.

(Pew Research Center)

Additionally, some 79% of Americans lived in counties with at least one cannabis dispensary in 2025.

23% of all dispensaries in 2024 were in states that only legalized medical marijuana.

(Pew Research Center)

While the majority of dispensaries are in the states with legal recreational use of marjiuana, Oklahoma and Florida which only have legal medical marijuana are both in the top five states with the largest number of dispensaries.

There were more than 3.65 million registered medical marijuana patients in the United States in 2025.

(Marijuana Moment)

The number of users of medicinal cannabis is growing, with patient enrollment increasing by 610% since 2016.

The United States cannabidiol oil industry is worth $24.61 billion in 2026.

(Precedence Research)

The most recent data shows that the market is projected to reach $382.04 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 40.89%.

Flower products in the US medical marijuana market will generate $21 billion in 2026.

(Statista)

This represents a massive increase compared to five years earlier, when these products accounted for $2.83 billion of all market sales.

The average cost to open a cannabis dispensary in the US was around $709,100 in 2026.

(Cova)

As medical marijuana revenues skyrocket, licenses, taxes, and other permits for opening a marijuana dispensary rise as well. On average, one must cash-in around $25,000 for the license, plus a non-refundable fee that can range from $1,000 to more than $10,000.

If you add another $2,500 per month for a banking fee, you realize how pricey this particular business can get. These expenses come regardless of whether it’s an adult-use shop or a medicinal marijuana dispensary.

In 2025, 425,002 people were employed in the cannabis industry.

(Vangst)

This represented a 3.4% decrease compared to 2024, as the industry added 22,952 new jobs in the previous year, showing significant growth before a period of "right-sizing."

North America holds a 74.0% of the global medical marijuana market share.

(Market.us)

The Asia-Pacific region is second with only a 10% market share, while Europe and Latin America both hold 7% of the market.

8.31% of the population of Oklahoma are medical cannabis patients in 2025.

(The Marijuana Policy Project)

This was the highest percentage across the US, followed by Maine at 7.66%.

The cannabis industry added approximately $149 billion to the US economy in 2025.

(Flowhub)

This total economic contribution included direct sales, as well as indirect spending and induced impact, such as jobs and tax revenue.

Pre-rolls emerged as the breakout category in 2025, reaching $4.1 billion in sales.

(Flowhub)

With a growth rate of 11.89%, this segment outperformed total market growth and became the preferred format for convenience-seeking consumers.

By 2025, 87% of US adults supported legalizing cannabis in some form.

(Pew Research Center)

While support for full legalization remains high, approximately 33% of respondents specifically favored a medical-only legalization framework.

51% of medical marijuana patients reported replacing some of their traditional prescription medications with cannabis in 2025.

(New Frontier Data)

This shift underscores the plant's growing role in clinical wellness, particularly for patients managing chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Cannabis tax revenue reached $25 billion by the start of 2026.

(Flowhub)

This figure nearly doubled the revenue generated by alcohol during the same period, highlighting the industry's role as a primary fiscal driver for state governments.