Ontario Cannabis Store reports increase in sales amid COVID-19 outbreak

A worker examines cannabis products at the Ontario Cannabis Store distribution centre in an undated handout photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Ontario Cannabis Store)

Toronto — As Ontarians increasingly isolate themselves at home amid a COVID-19 outbreak that has spawned the term “social distancing,” the province’s online cannabis retailer is reporting a surge in sales.

A spokesperson for the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) tells CTV News Toronto that it has seen a “marked increase” in sales volume in recent days and a particularly high demand for its same day/next day delivery option.

The spokesperson says that there were nearly 3,000 orders made on the OCS website on Saturday, which would be an 80 per cent increase on a typical Saturday.

The volume of sales has also been trending upwards as time goes on. On Sunday there were more than 4,000 orders (up 100 per cent from the week previous) and on Monday the number of orders surpassed 6,000.

“We are working closely with our partners and currently delivering and receiving as per our normal schedule,” Daffyd Roderick said in a written statement. “At present, we have sufficient inventory to meet demand and we are in frequent communication with our licensed producer partners to understand their operational plans and capabilities and plan accordingly.”

While no numbers have been provided for sales at the provinces authorized Cannabis retailers Roderick did say that those stores “are also reporting an increase in customer volume” amid the COVID-19 outbreak.