CLEVELAND — The state of Ohio recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of sales of medical marijuana.
Last month, the state reported that about 78,000 people have received physician recommendations and have registered with the state to use cannabis. Some 55,000 people have made purchases.
Earlier figures show 71% of those who've registered are 40 or older and 29% are over the age of 59. The first person who bought medical marijuana at a dispensary last January says cannabis has helped her but complained about the price.
According to the website Leafy, which tracks the cannabis industry, medical marijuana has created 4,275 jobs in the state of Ohio.
Here is Leafy's assessment of how the state performed in its first year of medical marijuana sales:
"With more than 78,000 patients but only $56 million in 2019 sales, the story here is limited access. As more dispensaries open in 2020 we expect Ohio sales to grow significantly. Late 2019 and early 2020 data indicate it’s already happening—we now see Ohio as a $220 million total market supporting 4,275 jobs."
Nationwide, Leafy says legal cannabis supports 243,700 full-time-equivalent jobs as of early 2020. That’s a 15% annual uptick in cannabis jobs. The $10.73 billion legal cannabis industry continues to be America’s single greatest job-creation engine, growing at a rate faster than any other industry over the past four years.
Since January 2019, nearly 57,000 people in Ohio have purchased a product containing THC or CBD, the active ingredients in cannabis plants.
Though sales of edibles and oils have topped $60 million, the growth of the highly-regulated medical marijuana industry has been slower than some companies had hoped. (The state has awarded licenses to 44 of 57 dispensaries in line.)
Ali Simon, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, told the Associated Press that the patient population and demographic breakdown has been “consistent” since the first dispensaries opened for business.
“That hasn’t changed as we’ve added more patients,” she said.
Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the National Cannabis Industry Association, said older buyers have been the fastest-growing consumer base for medical marijuana nationally.
“The stigma is eroding and people are getting better educated,” Fox said. “They’re changing their minds about the desirability and relative safety of the drug.”
The Ohio Department of Commerce did not make anyone available for an interview about Ohio’s medical marijuana program. Spokeswoman Kelly Whitaker provided an emailed statement that said the department is focused “on ensuring patients have access to safe products.” She said prices for manufactured products have dropped by 52% from a year ago and flower prices have decreased by 35% on average.
Watch below for an earlier report from 3News' Monica Robins on how you can be approved for medical marijuana use: