PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The sale of recreational cannabis products increased by nearly double in Maine in 2022.

Almost $159 million in cannabis products were sold in the state last year, according to the Office of Cannabis Policy. That was an increase from the 2021 total of about $82 million.

Maine’s recreational marijuana market is experiencing growth after taking years to get off the ground following approval by state residents. Maine voters approved legalization in 2016, but sales to the public didn’t start until fall 2020.

The number of dispensaries is also on the upswing.

The director of the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy told Maine Public, which first reported the figures, that the state has seen an increase of 20% in the number of dispensaries over the course of the past half year.