Recreational marijuana in Ohio: Customers line up on first day of sales
Tuesday is the first day non-medical card holders can legally purchase marijuana in Ohio. See who showed up at Bloom Medicinals in Columbus.
Earlier this month, all kinds of recreational marijuana products were made available to Ohioans, but which ones do residents of the Buckeye State prefer?
Bloom Medicinals, a cannabis company that sells both medical and recreational marijuana, offered some insight, and a smaller local shop, Locals Cannabis at 914 Cleveland Ave in Columbus, followed similar trends as its counterpart in another state.
The company collected data on marijuana purchases at its four Ohio stores, including a location in Columbus, from the start of adult-use sales on August 6 through August 15, taking into account gender, age and product type.
From August 6 to August 10, dispensaries generated $11.5 million in sales, according to the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control. By August 17, the number nearly doubled, reaching around $22 million. Sales are expected to remain stable and surpass medical marijuana sales.
More: Legal recreational marijuana in Ohio raises concerns among addiction experts
Who buys recreational marijuana in Ohio?
According to the company’s report, around 57% of Bloom Medicinals’ customers purchased marijuana for recreational rather than medical purposes. However, “numerous conversations” showed that recreational marijuana is often also purchased for medical purposes.
More: Patients or profits? Some fear recreational marijuana could ruin Ohio’s medical program
Furthermore, the gender distribution among recreational users reflected that of medical users: approximately 65% were male and 35% were female.
Customers ranged in age from the legal age of 21 to customers in their 70s. According to the report, men ages 21 to 29 were the largest adult-use marijuana buyers at Bloom Medicinals.
What kind of products do some Ohio residents buy?
Recreational users of all ages prefer hybrid flowers – a mix of indica and sativa strains of marijuana, according to the Bloom Medicinals report.
Among male and female customers ages 21 to 29, vape products were a close second, although female customers also preferred chewable gummy products.
In fact, women of all ages “overwhelmingly” preferred recreational marijuana products in the form of gummies, while men had a wider selection, including varieties in flower products, vape products, and gummies. The older the customers were, the more likely they were to prefer gummy products.
At Locals Cannabis, since opening on August 7, flowers of all kinds have dominated sales, followed by vape products and edibles such as gummy bears, candies, soluble powders and drinks.
Samantha Hendrickson is the Columbus Dispatch’s medical and health reporter. Reach her at [email protected]
