Marijuana Sales Are Booming In the Midst Of The Coronavirus Crisis
Outlets selling legal marijuana in the United States have shown huge increases in sales as the coronavirus spreads rapidly across the country.
According to the cannabis data company Headset, sales in states where the purchase of marijuana is legal – including California, Colorado, and Washington, have substantially increased.
Marijuana shops labeled ‘essential’
Across the country, many establishments such as gyms, bars, restaurants, and theaters have been placed on lockdown.
But in cities including New York, San Francisco, and Palm Springs, legal marijuana dispensaries have been labeled “essential” – meaning they can remain open during coronavirus lockdowns (with certain conditions attached).
In Oregon, average sales have reportedly been as much as 75% higher in terms of the number of people purchasing. The average spend per customer also rose from $32 to $43 (before tax prices).
In Denver, Colorado, the average adult-use cannabis basket price before tax was $58, compared to the previous amount of $45.
The above figures were calculated on an average Monday spends, comparing figures from over the past month.
One store in Vancouver, Washington, reported an increase of 100% in a single day, according to owner Jim Mullen.
“People are buying four or five items instead of one or two,” he was quoted saying. “People are asking what the legal limit is. We’re seeing bulk buying and people stocking up on products.”
So what are the reasons behind the spike in sales?
For some people, marijuana is a vital medical supplement that offers pain relief from a vast array of ailments.
In other cases, recreational users – many now on lockdown and forced to stay in their homes, could simply be looking to top up their supply levels, worried that stock will soon be hard to come by. Rather like the panic buying of toilet paper and other items deemed by the public to be essential.
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Women buying more than before
In another interesting statistic, there has been a much larger increase in sales by female customers. Although males have also been purchasing more marijuana products, the female increase has been twice as much.
Previously, Headset reported that cannabis sales to male customers made up roughly two-thirds of all
total sales.
There has also been a large jump in the sales of edible and beverage-based marijuana products.
Marijuana Delivery services thriving
Another notable aspect has been an increase in the number of customers who are ordering marijuana via delivery services. This has even caused some outlets to increase the size of their vehicle delivery fleet.
Delivery service Eaze claimed a home delivery spike of 38% in California, while deliveries to first-time customers reportedly shot up by 50%.
Recreational cannabis use is legal in 11 American states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. As well as the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.
A further 15 states, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, have decriminalized marijuana.
IMAGE FEATURED: jeremynathan
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