At least one industry in Michigan has largely been left unscathed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Recreational marijuana operations have mushroomed, while weekly sales of recreational marijuana in Michigan from March 9 onward have risen significantly.

Recreational pot sales in the nine weeks since March 9 now make up roughly 60% of the state’s overall sales since legal adult-use marijuana sales started Dec. 1. The 14 weeks prior to March 9 account for about 40% of overall marijuana sales.

About $54.6 million in recreational marijuana sales were reported to the state in the nine weeks between March 9 and May 10, with more than $7 million weekly total sales each week for the past four weeks.

Sales over the last nine weeks make up roughly 60% of the $91.6 million in total sales over the 23 weeks that legal recreational marijuana sales have occurred.

The state has reaped about $9.2 million in excise taxes from the sales as well as roughly $6 million in sales tax revenue. But pandemic-prompted shutdowns and delayed tax collections have prompted the State Budget Office to project the state needs to cut $1 billion to $3 billion from the current year budget that closes at the end of September. [Read more at The Detroit News]