Ohio’s medical cannabis market has come a long way since its launch last January but some numbers, including patient enrollment and operating dispensaries, are still lower than what was expected.
Ohio Medical Cannabis Market Still Growing After First Year
State of Ohio flags waving in front of the Statehouse in Columbus, OG.
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Ohio’s medical cannabis dispensaries have been open for business for one year as of Thursday, January 17, 2020; over that year, medical cannabis access has slowly improved in Ohio.
During 2019, the number of dispensaries grew from four to 47, but there are 57 approved provisional licenses. Only 20 of the 32 producers are operational and 14 out of 43 processors are actually manufacturing cannabis products.
Patient numbers are also low, with less than 100,000 patients registering in the first year — far fewer than the 200,000 projected by some experts, according to Columbus’s ABC 6. Advocates hope to expand the list of 21 qualifying conditions to include anxiety and autism over the next year, a move many hope will bring more patients into the state-run system.
“Going back to that first day when there are only four dispensaries in far-flung corners of the state, a lot of patients didn’t have access to a dispensary. It didn’t make sense to sign up for a card because they couldn’t really use it.” — Thomas Rosenberger, representing the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association, via ABC 6 “On Your Side”
One bright spot for the Ohio market may be lower prices, as ounces of flower fell from over $500 at roll-out to just a little over $300 after its first year, bringing prices more in line with nearby states like Pennsylvania and Michigan.
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