Sales of Marijuana Edibles Increase During Pandemic

Sales of marijuana edibles have increased during the pandemic, cannabis industry experts tell The New York Times.

The online cannabis retailer Eaze said first-time buyers of cannabis were up more than 50% in early March. More than a dozen states deemed medical marijuana dispensaries and cannabis stores to be essential businesses in the early days of the pandemic.

Chris Beals, the CEO of Weedmaps, an online directory for marijuana dispensaries, told the newspaper that overall sales of edibles in March were double those in February. He said one factor was likely “new consumers coming in, who were working from home, dealing with the stresses of COVID.”

People who normally smoke or vape marijuana may find it easier to consume edibles while they are living in close quarters with others in quarantine, Beals noted. “When people are working at home or they’re around children or family, edibles are just more discreet,” he said.