Maryland residents dropped over $3.5 million on marijuana products on the day that it became legal for them to purchase the drug for recreational purposes.

There were $3,558,947 in recreational marijuana sales on Saturday, according to a report from the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). Customers buying the drug for medical use bought another $959,430 worth of weed on Saturday.

Over the whole Friday-Sunday weekend leading into Independence Day, medical and recreational customers together purchased $10,429,736 of cannabis. State officials did not disaggregate Sunday’s recreational customers from that total.

The addition of recreational customers more than doubled the $3,985,527 of the narcotic purchased for medical use, the only legal purchases then allowed, over the same period in 2022.

Maryland law allows for the sale of marijuana flower, pre-rolled joints, filled vaping cartridges and disposable vapes, and edibles and related products. They must have less than 10 milligrams of THC per recommended serving and less than 100 milligrams per package.

Currently, medical dispensaries are allowed to pay a conversion fee in order to make themselves eligible to sell marijuana recreationally, with 94 having paid the fee; further licensing of vendors is planned by MCA officials.

In addition, 42 growers have been approved to grow and sell marijuana recreationally.

Maryland passed in 2002 a referendum measure to legalize marijuana sales to those 21 years and older for any purpose, with 67.2% of voters supporting the measure.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.