With the coronavirus pandemic forcing people to stay inside, one thing remains true: weed is still in high demand.
On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide shelter-in-place order that forced most businesses to close and asked residents to remain at home in response to COVID-19. Those exempted were considered “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers,” by Dr. Sonia Angell, the California state public health officer.
Marijuana dispensaries were deemed as “essential businesses” and will remain open in several states across the country along with grocery stores, hospitals and pharmacies.
“Access to legal, regulated and safe cannabis is essential, especially for California residents who rely on cannabis as their medicine,” Nicole Elliott, the California governor’s senior advisor on cannabis, said to the LA Times in a March 30 article.
However, Newsom’s order leaves room for California cities and counties to adopt tougher standards that could require the closure of dispensaries, worrying those working in the industry.
“The cannabis industry is affected by this coronavirus just like everybody else,” said San Jose State recreation senior Keith McCullom II.
All in-store purchases of marijuana for non-medical customers is prohibited in Santa Clara County. However, recreational users can still purchase weed through delivery services such as United Pot Service and Caliva.
“Non-medical cultivation, supply and dispensing of cannabis are prohibited, with the exception of deliveries directly to residences,” states Santa Clara County’s Frequently Asked Questions page. “Dispensaries with a mixed clientele of both medical and non-medical customers can do in-person business only with medical customers.”
Theraleaf Relief is one of the dispensaries located in San Jose that lost a significant amount of customers according to Leila Nakasone, a Theraleaf Relief employee. She said the dispensary normally has 500-600 patients a day.
She also said up to 95% of Theraleaf Relief’s clients are typically recreational users.
“At the time, we had like maybe 10 people out of the patients we would serve were medical,” Nakasone said over the phone.
But many people argue that dispensaries are not essential and should not be open during this pandemic.
“Given the choice of marijuana-based FDA drugs available at pharmacies, deeming pot shops ‘essential’ makes no more sense than allowing tobacco stores,” said Kevin Sabet, head of the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a nonprofit that is against marijuana legalization and commercialization as stated in an LA Times article.
With dispensaries losing customers, another alternative is to buy marijuana off the streets from a dealer.
The state’s decision to allow medical dispensaries to stay open gives street dealers the opportunity to compete with the black market while licensed growers and sellers have been hurt by high taxes and strict regulation.
“The dispensaries in Santa Clara County are losing out on the recreational side of business, which in return are leading people to the streets,” engineering senior Arafat Aljabari said.
