Medical vs Non-Medical Cannabis Sales

Comparing inventory, revenue, and discounts

This analysis compares medical and non-medical cannabis sales, tracking quantity sold, discounts applied, and total revenue impact.

The Bottom Line Up Front

Washington’s medical cannabis system is under-utilized, even as medical consumers continue to spend more on average. Meanwhile, the adult-use market is maturing into a competitive, discount-driven retail ecosystem.

Better tax alignment and medical program participation could protect:

• patient affordability

• small-business revenue stability

• supply chain resilience

Overview
Washington’s cannabis economy has always operated as a dual-track market — medical patients and adult-use consumers share the same shelves, but they behave very differently.

With over 221 million transaction records analyzed through November 2025, the Evergreen Canna Ledger examined how revenue, discounting, and taxation vary between the two consumer groups.

Sales Summary by Category

Summary of Sales: Medical vs Non-Medical

Category	Transactions	TotalQuantity	Revenue	Discounts	SalesTax	OtherTax
Non-Medical	134,928,083	4,316,330,112	$4,170,070,518	$545,973,161	$133,536,645	$15,322,886,788
Medical	70,986,358	267,615,574	$2,377,370,979	$394,094,487	$73,737,649	$299,063,497
NA	16,060,461	486,172,535	$455,740,174	$60,504,672	$15,821,517	$256,755,881

Table of Important Medical Cannabis Dates

Date	Event Label
2022-01-01	Post-CCR Migration Stabilization
2023-07-23	Medical Program Changes & Consolidated Rules
2024-01-01	New Tax/Fee Updates Begin (EPR fees + supply chain compliance shifts)
2025-07-01	Retail License & Packaging Rule Adjustments

Revenue Comparison

What we see in the timeline:

• Early 2022 shows sporadic volatility as MJ-Freeway stabilization continued.

• Sales surge through 2024–2025, driven by:

  • Tourism recovery

  • Product innovation (vapes, solventless, edibles)

  • Low-cost flower competition

• A sharp correction in mid-2025 as discounting rises and margins tighten.

Discount Analysis

Average Discounts: Medical vs Non-Medical

Category	Avg Discount Per Unit	Avg Total Discount
Medical	$5.53	$5.55
Non-Medical	$4.04	$4.05

Medical patients receive fewer discount opportunities and tend to buy higher-value products per visit (e.g., high-CBD tinctures, RSO).

This suggests pricing may create access barriers for some medical consumers — a key policy insight.

Tax Analysis Summary

Average Tax Amounts per Unit: Medical vs Non-Medical

Category	Avg Sales Tax	Avg Other Tax
Medical	$1.03	$4.12
Non-Medical	$0.97	$3.78

Despite eligibility for reduced taxes, many patients do not register as medical users at the point of sale — possibly due to:

• administrative hurdles

• stigma

• limited retailer participation in the medical program

That leaves vulnerable consumers paying near-adult-use tax levels for medicine.

What All This Means for Operators & Policymakers.

Insight	Implication
Medical consumers generate higher revenue per transaction	Continued growth in wellness-aligned SKUs
Adult-use volatility increases during economic uncertainty	Price compression pressures margins
Medical tax benefit usage remains low	Opportunity for reforms that improve access