Is all of this isolation and solitude starting to get to you?
What can we do? This act of social responsibility may feel punitive but it’s a necessary evil right now.
Saddle up, y’all. We’re in for even more. Today, Michigan passed a shelter in place order that will close everything deemed non-essential.
And if you’re a cannabis enthusiast, you’re probably wondering, is cannabis considered essential in Michigan?
For those who rely on medical marijuana to ease their symptoms, the answer is a definitive yes.
The Path of COVID-19 through Michigan’s Cannabis Industry
In the past couple of weeks, people here in Michigan have been stock-piling marijuana just in case the state went into lockdown.
This was a boon for dispensaries and other businesses that saw a serious uptick in sales.
Then last week, the governor started placing restrictions on what could be open. Dispensaries still made the cut, but they started curbside pickup, limited the number of people inside their stores at one time, and imposed stricter sanitary standards to protect medical users.
But what does today’s order mean for cannabis businesses?
Is Marijuana Deemed Essential?
Last week, dispensaries appealed to Gov. Whitmer to deem cannabis an “essential” so that they won’t have to shut down.
In their letter, they called on the governor to give doctors permission to “evaluate patients and write recommendations for both new medical marijuana patients and renewing patients using telecommunications.”
They believe continued access to cannabis during this time is pertinent and should therefore be considered essential. Especially given the fact that patients with chronic pain or seizures, as well as pediatric patients, have reduced or even replaced pharmaceuticals (such as opiates) with medical marijuana.
As marketing and public relations experts in the cannabis industry, we were predicting that – at the very least – medical marijuana patients would still have access to their medicine.
We were pleased when we heard the governor’s final decision.
So Is Cannabis Considered Essential in Michigan?
The answer is yes. Dispensaries will be permitted to continue their curbside operations for BOTH medical and recreational marijuana.
Among those singing their praises to the governor for this decision is Jerry Millen of the Greenhouse in Walled Lake.
“Governor Whitmer is doing a great job caring for people throughout the state of Michigan,” said Millen. “Giving medical marijuana patients and others the opportunity to continue obtaining various cannabis products for their needs is so very important. On behalf of all of my patients and other customers, we owe her a great deal of gratitude during this difficult time for all of Michigan’s residents.”
Although the law goes into effect at midnight tonight, you can begin ordering today at greenhousemi.com. The entire back parking lot at the facility will be converted into an area for pick up.
The Greenhouse is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday 10am to 6pm.
Thank You, Governor Whitmer
We’re also grateful that the governor responded to the question, is cannabis considered essential in Michigan with a resounding yes.
After all, not only do medical users rely on it as their medicine, but many casual consumers use it to help them sleep and/or manage their anxiety.
And right now, we can use all the help we can get.
To stay up to date on COVID-19 and its impact on cannabis industry, keep checking back with our blog.