Cannabis sales increase amid COVID-19 outbreak

Sales, in general, seem to be increasing as consumers adjust to new operational procedures at dispensaries. On March 16, daily sales in California spiked 159% over same-day sales in 2019, according to point-of-sale data provided by Seattle-based Headset. Marijuana Business Daily has reported significant spikes in sales in Colorado and Washington state.

Headset reports a sales increase in edibles, which the product category growing from 11% of the market to 14% of the market — a 27% increase in market share in only 4 weeks.

How has covid-19 changed product preference?
Chart: Headset

State governments around the U.S. have deemed cannabis dispensaries and provisioning centers as "essential business" as other businesses are ordered to temporarily shut down.

On March 16, San Francisco announced a "shelter in place" policy, in effect until April 7, requiring all nonessential businesses to close. City officials told cannabis dispensaries to shut down when the policy was initially announced but later in the day the San Francisco Department of Health said that they could remain open, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.



Illinois issued guidance for dispensaries, allowing them to keep doors open and sell medical cannabis on a public walkway or curb adjacent to the dispensary.

As originally reported by Leafly, some dispensaries, like MOCA Dispensary in Chicago, that serve medical and recreational users have switched to being open to medical users only to ensure the needs of those patients are met.

"For the health and safety of our staff and patients, we are limiting services to online order pickup for medical patients and caregivers until further notice. To limit wait time, we are unable to offer in-person consultations or any recreational sales at this time," a notice on the MOCA Dispensary website reads.

Source and Photo Courtesy of  Cannanis product news

Source: Cannabis Product News