Marijuana in Ohio: How are sales going 2 months later?

COLUMBUS (WJW) – After two months of legalized adult-use marijuana , sales in the state of Ohio the numbers both in amounts and dollars seem staggering.

Adult-use marijuana first went on sale in Ohio on Aug. 6.

As of Oct. 1, the state reports more than $87 million has been spent on recreational marijuana products with sales of more than 10.200 pounds.

That is more than five tons of pot sold in just two months.

“The rollout of legalization in Ohio has been one of the most successful state adult use programs in the history of the U.S.,” said Ben Bernstein, an analyst for LeafLink, a company that works with more than 55,000 dispensaries across the country, including 119 of the 120 licensed adult-use marijuana dispensaries in Ohio.

The sale of recreational marijuana surged when it first hit shelves in Ohio. It has not slumped since.

“When you see a lot of other states first launch their legal programs, you typically have huge product shortages, prices skyrocket. Its very difficult for your end consumer to go to a store and purchase a product for a reasonable price and that hasn’t happened in Ohio,” said Bernstein.

“Monthly sales across both the medical and adult-use programs have grown from around 35-40 million a month up to around 75-80 million a month. That’s pretty successful for a new market rollout,” he added.

Bernstein says packaged flower products are the most in demand and so they may be the hardest to find at dispensaries.

But he says as product — including packaged flower products — increases and the number of dispensaries increase, sales in Ohio will continue to climb.

He points to the state allowing all of the current licensed dispensaries to open one more additional dispensary and cultivators being able to open as many as three new dispensaries in the future.

That could take the number of available licenses in the state from 130 to more than 400.

Combined with the state’s population and that Ohio borders Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where recreational marijuana is not legalized, analysts believe there is no slowing the growth here.

“Ohio’s growth is just at the beginning today. The state is doing nearly a billion dollars in total sales which would put it as the 12th largest cannabis program in the country. I think its going to grow a lot faster as you get more stores on,” said Bernstein.

There currently are more than 100 communities across the state that have imposed moratoriums on the sale of recreational marijuana, according to the Ohio State University Mortiz College of Law.

In the FOX 8 viewing area, they include Avon Lake, Beachwood, Barberton, Brunswick, Copley Township, Elyria, Hudson, Independence, Kent, Lakewood, Medina Township, New Franklin, North Canton, Norton, Painesville, Richmond Heights, Strongsville and Westlake.

The state collects 10% of the sales in taxes, 36% of which goes to the local communities where there are dispensaries.

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