In its first year of recreational cannabis sales, the state generated $61 million in total taxes on nearly $400 million in marijuana sales, according to figures released Wednesday by state agencies. But state officials say the work to build the industry is just getting started.

The figures from the Department of Revenue and the Cannabis Control Commission show the financial impact of recreational cannabis sales, which began in two dispensaries in communities in Central and Western Massachusetts on Nov. 20, 2018.

Since that day, 33 dispensaries have opened in 32 municipalities, generating $393.7 million in total sales. In fiscal 2019 and through October in fiscal 2020, those sales have generated $19 million in sales taxes, $32.8 million in state excise taxes, and $9.1 million in local option taxes.

In an interview Wednesday, Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman said the work is just beginning. “I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m pleased with how the rollout has gone to date but we are in the early stages and have a ton more work to do,” he said.

Hoffman outlined five areas on which the commission remains focused for the years ahead.

Opening more stores. With 33 stores open, but hundreds more in the cue, Hoffman said one of the commission’s pressing tasks is licensing more stores. But that doesn’t just mean green-lighting the 395 license applications still pending with the state. Hoffman wants to ensure that there is an even distribution of stores throughout the Commonwealth.

“I have no expectation there will be a retail store on every corner, but we have a lot more geographic expansion to do,” Hoffman said. “That’s the biggest part of our job.”

Bring more banking options. Hoffman said he’s heard from a fourth bank that’s officially entering the cannabis market, in addition to GFA Federal Credit Union, Baycoast Bank, and Century Bank. While he didn;t disclose the name, he said that conversations are ongoing to get more banks comfortable with offering services to cannabis companies.

“Even four is not enough for the industry as it grows and expands,” Hoffman said.

Addressing social justice. One of the industry’s most public struggles to date continues to be the lack of diversity in the industry, despite the goals and stated focus on the laws and regulations surrounding it.

The commission has developed a social equity program to offer mentorship and training to those disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs, and giving exclusivity to certain licenses to economic empowerment applications — certified by the state early into the industry’s start as being harmed by the war on drugs.

But Hoffman said these applicants still need financing. At the the commission’s Nov. 7 meeting, only 3.5 of the distinct entities that had filed an application with the state identified as being minority-owned. Additionally, of the nearly 7,000 approved and pending employees in the cannabis industry, 73 percent identified as white and 66 percent identified as male.

Addressing the delay in towns willing to host marijuana businesses. As the industry has rolled out, one problem has been finding towns willing to host a cannabis business. Those problems were further compounded by towns asking for amounts exceeding what the state law envisioned within the contracts they are signing with marijuana companies.

Hoffman said he's pleased that there's legislation that will clarify whether the commission has the authority to review those contracts, and what payments are allowed. But he said the industry still needs to speed up the pace at which communities are rolling out marijuana regulations.

“I’m not criticizing any city or town. Every one is trying to do the right thing. But that is a factor. We can't process applications without an agreement and that has a factor on the pace of rollout,” Hoffman said.

Increasing the buy-in from the medical community. The medical marijuana market, under the Commission since December, is also on the chairman’s priority list, specifically finding a way to involve physicians and nurse practitioners into the ongoing care of cannabis patients.

Hoffman said that goal is multi-faceted, and includes having doctors actively managing prescriptions, and doing research on dosing and timing.

“I think we’re missing an opportunity to substantially improve the lives of patients around the state,” Hoffman said. “We need to figure out how to engage the medical community in this.”