State policymakers believe that Maine’s illicit cannabis market is smaller than in other states with adult-use cannabis laws.

New data show that 15% of cannabis purchased in Maine came from adult-use stores, according to a report from the state’s Office of Cannabis Policy, which surveyed nearly 2,000 Mainers about their buying and consumption habit within a month-long period.

A total of 64% of cannabis came from a regulated or legal source, such as medical dispensary or caregiver, while 36% came from an illegal source.

Data from Massachusetts, Alaska and California show a larger illicit market, despite adult-use cannabis stores in those states being open longer than those in Maine, according to the new report.

The first adult-use store in Maine opened a little more than a year ago. Stores in Massachusetts and Alaska first opened about three years ago, and the first adult-use store opened in California about five years ago.

Erik Gunderson, director of Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy, said the state is curbing its illicit market at a faster rate compared to others, and it’s a testament to the work the state legislature did in drafting adult-use laws in Maine. [Read more at Maine Public]