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The pandemic brings a side effect: increased cannabis sales

 Jared DeCamp pours out marijuana buds from Gadsden Gardens at Herbal Remedies Dispensary on Thursday, September 3. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

Alicia Smith said that as the pandemic struck, her cannabis stores have gotten busier with new customers looking for relief from the strain of uncertain times.

Smith is the founder and co-owner of Homegrown Oregon, which has three stores in Salem and one in Portland. She said that first-time users and others who don’t normally shop in cannabis stores have been coming in looking for help for sleeplessness, depression or worry.

“I think there are people that may have been a bit more frightened and anxious and maybe trying to decompress, truthfully,” she said.

Cannabis sales have soared in recent months in Oregon. According to data from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, sales have been rising since the beginning of the year. In May, the commission recorded $103 million in monthly sales, the first time topping $100 million and a 62% increase from the same time last year.

In June, sales dipped to $100 million and then rose the following month to $106 million. In August, totaled $103 million.

The Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association said in its newsletter earlier this month that the state’s legal cannabis market could be on track to hit $1 billion for the first time since recreational stores opened their doors in 2016. The association suggested that the growth from cannabis consumers turning away from informal markets, such as buying from friends.

“The exact cause of this recent spike in sales may not be clear, but one thing is for sure: it’s a critical boom for our industry, especially during this difficult time,” the association said.

Smith said that she’s noticed an upswing in sales of edibles, which she said some customers find helps them sleep through the night. Others have turned to CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabis compound touted for its purported medical and stress-reducing effects.

Oregon officials clamped down on public life in March to contain the virus, driving the state’s unemployment rate in April to a record 14.2%.

State data shows that in Marion and Polk counties, cannabis sales rose to $7 million in April and reached a peak in May at $7.8 million. In August sales were $7.4 million. There are 67 licensed retailers in both counties.

Tim Robinson, manager at Herbal Remedies, said sales have increased at the store, located at 3940 Commercial St S.E., as people have been stuck at home with not much to do. He said that people out of work have had extra cash from a federal program that temporarily added $600 to weekly unemployment benefits, and they’ve been looking for a way to ease the stress of the pandemic.

He said that the store has maintained social distancing and other public health guidelines while trying to grow its selection of flower and dabs.

“Other than that, it’s going to flow how it flows and adjust as we need,” he said.

Contact reporter Jake Thomas at 503-575-1251 or [email protected] or @jakethomas2009.

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