Midwest states like Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Missouri have seen a steady increase in cannabis sales since 2021 began. One state, Missouri, has sales numbers that almost rival Ohio’s more mature medical program.
Sales in Ohio increased by 62% since January 2021. Historically, Ohio has sold 66,336 pounds of cannabis plant material, with an average price of $28.44 per one-tenth of an ounce for plant sales.
As of October, there are 216,471 registered medical patients in Ohio. There are more than 14,000 veterans, 16,000 patients with indigent status, and 900 patients with a terminal illness, according to a state report. There are more than 630 qualified physicians who can give medical certificates to patients.
Ohio is set to award 73 new medical dispensary licenses, which had applications due on November 18. New licenses are expected to be awarded in Spring 2022, although regulators have not announced an official due date.
In Ohio, there is also a ballot petition to legalize adult-use cannabis. If successful, the law would allow adults over the age of 21 to buy, possess, grow, and use cannabis. The group, Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, must collect 133,000 signatures to get their proposed law before state legislators.
Sales in Ohio have grown slower than in others like Missouri, which is almost meeting Ohio’s sales figures.
Missouri only has a medical program, legalized in 2018 and with sales beginning in 2020. The state saw a 434% increase in sales from January 2021 through October. Missouri’s medical marijuana implementation time was 23 months according to an annual state report published in 2021.
“It is an honor to be a part of the great success of this new medical industry in Missouri. I continue to be amazed at how hard our team is working in order to help our facilities provide this alternative medicine for the state’s fast growing patient base,” said Lyndall Fraker, Director of the Section for Medical Marijuana Regulation in August, when the report was released.
As of October, there are 174 medical dispensaries, 39 cultivators, 52 manufacturers, and seven labs, according to Missouri. The counties with the most patients are Jackson (home to Kansas City) and St. Louis, each with more than 14,000 registered patients. Missouri has 153,182 registered patients in total, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
There are a pair of adult-use ballot petitions winding through the process in Missouri to be placed on the November 2022 ballot. One filed in July and another in August.
In Illinois, medical and adult use mariujuana is legal, since 2014 and 2019, respectively. From January of 2021 through October, overall cannabis sales in the state increased by 27%. This is despite 185 new Illinois dispensary licenses still being locked up in a court battle.
Sales in Illinois have plateaued since August 2021, and the reasons why are unclear, although the state has not added any new dispensaries since April.
As of November, there are 177,111 registered medical marijuna patients in Illinois. Chronic pain and post traumatic stress disorder are the top two debilitating conditions with the highest number of diagnoses, according to a 2021 state report. Migraines, osteoarthritis, and cancer followed.
There is also an opioid alternative pilot program in Illinois, and as of August, there were 783 registered opioid alternative patients.
Sales in Michigan grew by 50% from January 2021 through October. Michigan began its adult use sales in 2019 and in 2021, the number of active dispensaries in the state increased by 42% in the first seven months. Cultivation licenses also grew.
There are 244,389 registered medical marijuana patients in the state as of October and 29,349 caregivers. Chronic pain and severe pain are the top two leading diagnoses for patients, according to an October state report. There are 372 doctors in the state providing written certifications to patients.
