Nevada marijuana dispensaries close storefronts; only deliveries allowed

All recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries must close their storefronts per the emergency declaration issued by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Friday.

Dispensaries will be required to shut down all public store fronts by midnight Friday despite the surge in purchases. Legal cannabis sales will continue but will be available by delivery only.

Nationwide, marijuana sales are up about 30 percent, according to BDS analytics CEO Roy Bingham.

“The spike in sales that we saw is similar to what we see for a holiday like 4/20,” said Bingham, referring to the global celebration of marijuana each year on April 20. “That’s the biggest holiday of the year (for dispensaries).”

Bingham said the next few weeks will be a true test of supply for Nevada’s marijuana industry. While there has been a significant increase in deliveries nationwide, Bingham said it’s unclear whether that increase will continue as people self-isolate.

“I think the big concern for everyone in the cannabis industry is that this is a short term blip and then we will see a deterioration of the market. While there’s a pickup in sales, it’ll be interesting to see if the demand slacks off,” Bingham said. [Read More @ Reno Gazette Journal]