Medical marijuana sales up nearly 50%

MPBN -= Medical marijuana sales in Maine have jumped by nearly 50 percent over the past year, according to newly released numbers from Maine Revenue Services. Word of the increase comes as advocates for legalizing the recreational use of the drug prepare to submit more than 90,000 signatures to get a measure on this fall’s ballot.

In 2014, licensed dispensaries reported sales of just over $16 million. Last year, sales jumped to more than $23 million. The figures, tracked by Maine Revenue Services, don’t include sales from the more than 2,000 caregivers who are allowed to grow for individual patient