Oregon Cannabis Sales in March Were the Highest Ever for a Single Month

Sales increased 37 percent from this time last year.

(Wesley Lapointe)
By Matthew Singer

Well, it's now clear how a lot of Oregonians got through their first month of quarantine: by smoking a lot of weed.

Sales data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission show Oregonians bought $84.5 million worth of cannabis products in March—the most in a single month since the state legalized recreational use in 2015. The previous record, set in July 2019, was just shy of $80 million.

The March number is a 37 percent increase from this time last year. Sales per retailer averaged out to $135,000, a 30 percent jump.

Flower accounted for more than half of total sales, while concentrates and extracts made up the second-highest market share.

Cannabis sales in general have been rising after a surplus in 2018 resulted in a glut that sent prices plummeting. Sales in 2019 were up 22 percent, according to the OLCC.

It's not clear if the record sales for March were a result of panic buying as more businesses were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless, expect them to continue—dispensaries were exempted from Gov. Kate Brown's stay-home order March 23, and the OLCC has temporarily allowed curbside cannabis sales outside shops.

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