Medical Marijuana Weathers Corona Storm
Apparently, the deadly virus that toppled several businesses across the globe is not much of a challenge to the medical marijuana market. On the contrary, there has been an increase in the sales of cannabis in March and April 2020. In Arizona alone, nearly 17,000 pounds of the psychoactive drug was sold this March. And, with marijuana dispensaries now being an essential industry has guaranteed many Arizonans the opportunity to stay employed.
California, Colorado, Washington DC, and Nevada experienced a sale spike of around 17% ($134 million) in the first week of March with Northern California witnessing a 500% rise in sales. The second half of March saw an increase in sales by 47%. Sales in Denver saw an increase of 392%.
Other states that have deemed medical marijuana dispensaries as essential services include Michigan, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Mexico.
Keeping Employees Safe
Millions of Americans are safe inside their homes, but fleets of men and women drive out daily to deliver marijuana, i.e., around 243,000 legal cannabis workers. Different dispensaries follow different rules to keep their employees safe. On one hand, product retrieval and transaction completion by buyers are done in the car. On the other hand, delivery staff practice touch-free delivery, i.e., leave the product at the customer’s doorstep.
Delivery staff conducts the business the usual way save for wearing face masks and gloves. Also, they clean the vehicle surfaces frequently and sanitize or wash their hands often. Well, not many buyers are practicing space though many are indeed taking precautions (such as wearing a mask when receiving the product or standing a foot away from the delivery personnel).
Crypto and Cannabis
Along with the cannabis industry, one other business that has gained momentum amid the pandemic is crypto. Both complement each other well. In fact, CoinNewsSpan reported that certain marijuana strains could be bought using CANN (CannabisCoin, a cannabis-related cryptocurrency).
Essential It Is
Most Americans consider medical marijuana dispensaries as essential services, i.e., 53% adults, 62% Democrats, 52%, Independents, and 43% Republicans. Around 36% of U.S. adults use the drug more or less than usual, with 28% using it more than usual. Medical marijuana is considered an effective treatment for those suffering from ailments and diseases such as appetite loss, PSTD, Alzheimer’s, nausea, and muscle spasms, to name a few, to maintain a productive daily life. As of April 2020, researchers of the University of Miami are studying COVID-19’s impact on the cannabis industry.
