Over the past year, Ohio has seen an increase in the number of patients in its medical program, a drop in cannabis prices and four new dispensaries have opened, but Ohio consumers are still paying more per gram than their neighbors in Michigan’s adult-use market, though less than patients in Pennsylvania’s medical market, according to a new report from Ohio State University.
Ohio medical patients pay an average of $8.99 per gram, down 17% from the summer 2021 price of $11.03. Ohio’s average price in 2022 is $4.08 more per gram than in Michigan, but $3.57 less per gram than Pennsylvania.
The past 12 months also saw a 44% increase in the number of patients enrolled in Ohio’s program with more than 154,000 patients registered as of August 2022. However, the number of physicians who have obtained certificates to recommend cannabis fell from 651 to 641 in August 2022, resulting in what the report says is the lowest doctor-to-patient ratio of similarly aged medical programs.
As of August 2022, there were a total of 23 Level I cultivator provisional licensees with 17 of them receiving a certificate of operation (increase of two since August 2021) and 14 Level II cultivator provisional licensees, with 12 of those receiving a certificate of operation. There were also 58 dispensaries with a certificate to operate (increase of four from August 2021). In addition, 71 additional entities received a provisional dispensary license after a second request for applications was announced in April 2021, and 42 processors have received a certificate of operation (increase of eight since August 2021) with four more entities having received a provisional license.
As of the time of the report in July, Ohio’s medical program had generated $955 million in sales since its January 2019 opening. The state of Ohio collected more than $132 million in tax revenue, with the state tax and local tax accounting for approximately $64 million, medical marijuana businesses application and licensing fees accounting for another $46 million and patient and caregiver fees making up the remaining $22 million.
A majority of survey respondents also reported being satisfied with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program for the first time in four years and 84% of respondents reported having trust in the safety of products sold in Ohio dispensaries.
— Brian Beckley