Washington’s Green Dream Turns Dull: Cannabis Sales Take a Nosedive

It looks like the cannabis bubble in Washington is starting to burst—again. For the fifth consecutive year, cannabis sales are on the decline, with figures dropping from a high of $1.4 billion in 2021 to just over $277 million in the first quarter of 2025. According to the Washington Department of Revenue, the main culprit is an oversupply of product, which has sent prices spiraling downward. Who knew too much green could be a bad thing?

Retailers are feeling the pinch, but they’re still seeing plenty of foot traffic. Customers are walking through the doors of cannabis shops, but their spending habits are definitely lighter. Picture it: the same amount of people coming in as before, but with thinner wallets. An owner from Ocean Greens put it simply: “There’s not much difference between those days and now, just their pockets are a little bit thinner.” Makes you wonder what’s going on with that old saying about money not growing on trees.

It’s a curious situation in the cannabis world, and it raises some questions. How will retailers adapt to this changing landscape? Will they find innovative ways to engage customers who are still there but less willing to splurge? What do you think is next for the cannabis industry in Washington—do you see a turnaround, or is this just the new normal?

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