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WKSU, our public radio partners in Ohio and across the region and NPR are all continuing to work on stories on the latest developments with the coronavirus and COVID-19 so that we can keep you informed.

Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Remain Open; Customers Reportedly Buying More

Have a Heart Cincy, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in Ohio, says it's seeing record high purchases.
Ann Thompson
/
WVXU
Have a Heart Cincy, the largest medical marijuana dispensary in Ohio, says it's seeing record high purchases.

At least at some Southwest Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries, business has never been better despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Have a Heart Cincy customers are telling General Manager Darius Bobo they are "tremendously grateful" the dispensary is open. In some cases he's noticed they're buying more than normal so they don't have to come in as often.

That seems to be a trend nationwide, as reported in Marijuana Business Daily.

Pharmacann, owner of Verilife in Columbia Township, says given the coronavirus, additional precautions are in place. Spokesman Jeremy Unruh tells WVXU those include making sure there are no more than 10 people in the waiting area, including employees, and they are being kept six feet apart.

Verilife is one of a handful of medical marijuana dispensaries in Southwest Ohio.
Credit Ann Thompson / WVXU
/
WVXU
Verilife is one of a handful of medical marijuana dispensaries in Southwest Ohio.

That is the thinking at other dispensaries as well. Have a Heart Cincy is the largest dispensary in Ohio and according to Bobo, "We'll do great numbers throughout the day but when people come in, I would say sporadically, we never have a large crowd of people within the waiting area."

The Hartwell facility has added extra sanitary measures, including having employees wear gloves and wiping everything down every 15 minutes. That seems to be the case nationwide.

In states that allow home delivery like Massachusetts and New York, Unruh says PharmaCann is pushing that instead of coming into the store.

Copyright 2020 91.7 WVXU. To see more, visit 91.7 WVXU.

With more than 30 years of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market, Ann Thompson brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting. She has reported for WKRC, WCKY, WHIO-TV, Metro Networks and CBS/ABC Radio. Her work has been recognized by the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists. In 2019 and 2011 A-P named her “Best Reporter” for large market radio in Ohio. She has won awards from the Association of Women in Communications and the Alliance for Women in Media. Ann reports regularly on science and technology in Focus on Technology.