Medical cannabis has been available in Ohio for about three months now, but the latest data shows that the 20,000 people registered on the program haven’t displayed much eagerness to buy all the cannabis available at dispensaries. Here are some reasons that could explain this lack of buyer enthusiasm.
High Product Prices
One major concern for Ohio medical cannabis patients is the high prices being levied for medical cannabis products. On average, an ounce of cannabis costs $470. This is twice the cost of medical cannabis in Michigan.
Why is Michigan significant in this case? Patients from Ohio and other states can use their medical cannabis cards to buy medical marijuana in Michigan. It is therefore regrettable that the products in Ohio are so expensive.
This high cost can be attributed to the high licensing fees levied, as well as the rigid product packaging and testing requirements imposed by the state.
Dispensaries Aren’t Evenly Distributed
Ohio licensed 56 dispensaries. So far, only nine have opened their doors to patients. Unfortunately, all those nine are found on the Eastern side of the state.
Patients must therefore drive for several hours in order to find a dispensary and buy the products they need. Obviously, not many of the patients have felt the urge to endure those long drives.
Sales may therefore remain lukewarm until more dispensaries open closer to the patients who need the products available.
Unfavorable Possession Rules
Another major factor that can explain why patients aren’t buying as much medical cannabis as the state would expect is that the rules restrict a patient to just 90-days’ worth of cannabis. However, the clock starts ticking on those 90 days from the time you get your prescription from a doctor.
This means that every day you take without buying the maximum amount of cannabis allowed reduces the quantity that you will buy when you eventually visit a dispensary.
For example, a patient who goes to a dispensary 60 days after getting their prescription can only buy medical cannabis that can last a maximum of 30 days.
Furthermore, the high cost of cannabis means that patients may find it hard to buy a large amount of cannabis during one visit to a dispensary.
A Limited Range of Products
The law bars patients from smoking medical marijuana. However, only dried flower is currently available in the dispensaries that have so far opened.
This means that patients who want cannabis oil, tinctures, patches, lotions and edibles cannot spend any money on cannabis products until what they want is available.
All these issues show that the medical marijuana program has gotten off to a rocky start. Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF) and Plus Products Inc. (CSE: PLUS) (OTCQB: PLPRF) hope that the medical cannabis program matures quickly so that each patient can get what they want at an affordable cost.
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