Marijuana Business Magazine March 2019

Marijuana Business Magazine | March 2019 30 Industry Developments | International & State North Dakota The state has begun issuing medical marijuana cards to patients and caregivers, which marks another step forward as North Dakota sets up a regulated distribution system for the MMJ market. Medical cannabis could become available in eastern North Dakota within weeks, with dispensaries operating statewide by early fall. North Dakota’s health department estimates as many as 4,000 people will be using MMJ there by summer 2021. Ohio Patients spent more than $333,000 in the first two weeks of medical cannabis sales in Ohio. The sales figures were provided by the state’s Medical Marijuana Control Program, which reported $75,000 in medical marijuana sales the first day alone. State MMJ patients are paying about $50 for a tenth of an ounce of medical marijuana, but that number is expected to decline once more licensed cultivators begin supplying product. Oklahoma Retailers sold nearly $1 million worth of medical cannabis in December—strong numbers for a relatively new market with limited product availability and few open dispensaries. More than 30,000 Oklahoma patients and nearly 900 dispensaries have been licensed since state voters approved a medical marijuana state question in June. Numbers from the Oklahoma Tax Commis- sion show medical marijuana sales generated nearly $70,000 for state coffers from a special new tax on cannabis sales. Oregon A new study from the Liquor Control Commission, which regulates the state’s marijuana market, shows Oregon would nearly double its cannabis supply if regulators approved all pending producer applications, which could potentially strain an already glutted market. As of Jan. 1, 2019, the recreational market has 6½ years worth of theoretical supply in Oregon’s cannabis tracking system. Meanwhile, Adam Smith, the founder of the Craft Cannabis Alliance, is working with state lawmakers on legislation to allow licensed cannabis companies to ship to other states with legal MJ programs.