Ohioans purchased more marijuana in March than any month since the state saw its first legal medical sales in January 2019, according to an analysis of state sales data.

Average weekly sales in Ohio for the first two months of the year stood at about $2.56 million. Average weekly sales through all of March and the first week of April were about $3.26 million.

With nearly $13 million in sales, this March was officially the busiest sales month yet for the Buckeye State. Before March, there had never been more than $2.6 million in sales in a given week. The week of March 16 was the busiest week, yet with about $3.8 million in sales.

March, of course, is when the Ohio began to shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dining rooms and taprooms were ordered by Gov. Mike DeWine to stay closed until further notice effective March 16, and the “stay-at-home” order came March 22. As questions began to swirl around whether marijuana dispensaries would be considered essential businesses, allowing them to remain open — the state has, indeed, designated them as essential as pharmacies — there seemed to be a push among patients and caregivers to buy up supplies, either out of concern bud retailers would close or to stock up to minimize trips out. [Read More @ Crain’s Cleveland Business]