The coronavirus disease may have only been with us for several months now But the highly infectious, acute respiratory viral illness has heralded plenty of unprecedented changes to routines all over the world.
For instance, school-going students are finding home learning to be the new normal. Also, people are being encouraged to work from home as various governments all over the world attempt to implement stay-at-home orders. These, and other similar initiatives, are in line with the containment measures recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As the coronavirus disease continues to spread like wildfire, there seems to be no end in sight as far as self-quarantine and lockdown are concerned. This implies that we may continue to be holed up in our homes until experts discover a vaccine against the virus.
But while COVID-19 threatens to bring numerous businesses to their knees, some sectors continue to operate amidst the stay-at-home orders. Such businesses fall within a category known as “essential” services, and medical marijuana happens to be one of them.
COVID019 virology concept
Source: Pixabay.com
Why Is Marijuana Categorized As An “Essential Service?”
COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease. Unlike most viral respiratory illnesses that we’re used to, coronavirus actually kills. As such, one of the best ways to contain its spread is to limit social interactions. And that was the inspiration behind noble initiatives like social distancing, self-quarantine, and lockdowns.
To effectively implement these measures, governments must ensure that certain sectors of the economy continue to run. For instance, people must eat even during lockdowns. So, food trucks can still transport foodstuff to local retailers and market stalls. That would prevent people from venturing far away from their homes to go shopping, thereby increasing their exposure to the virus.
Similarly, those working in the media industry must continue providing credible reporting on the COVID-19 situation within their jurisdictions as well as worldwide.
However, healthcare is unarguably the main “essential” service during the COVID-19 lockdown, and it’s here that marijuana is classified.
The decision to make marijuana an essential service during the COVID-19 lockdown has seen industry titans move with speed to cash in on the surging demand for weed. People wanting to only buy CBD Gummies has also increased as the more cautious among patients continue to seek relief through the non-psycoactive use of Cannabis.
But what are the exact reasons why many states and countries are declaring medical marijuana an essential product?
1. Marijuana Has Immense Therapeutic Properties
As an essential medical product, marijuana can treat a wide range of medical conditions. You can also grow plants in the comfort of your own home, such as the award winning blue dream feminized seeds in 2020 (if legal in your jurisdiction) and reap the following benefits.
The following is a list of diseases that Cannabis can potentially treat, manage, or prevent;
- Diseases symptomized by pain, such as arthritis and osteoporosis
- Anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Inflammatory conditions, such as Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, acne, and cancer
- Cardiovascular conditions like arteriosclerosis
- Mental conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and schizophrenia
- Weight-related illnesses, such as obesity and diabetes
- Neurological conditions like seizures and Multiple Sclerosis
In addition to these conditions, marijuana also has positive effects on mood, appetite, sleep, and energy levels. Most importantly, users can enjoy all the above therapeutic benefits of weed without experiencing any significant side effects.
2. Accessibility Is an Issue
However, while marijuana promises plenty of medicinal benefits to users, lockdown and quarantine measures make it exceedingly difficult to access the herb. Ordinarily, weed users would walk into a marijuana dispensary or other weed retailers and order their pot hassle-free.
But the continued closure of marijuana shops means two things;
- People who are on medical marijuana subscription might have their conditions worsen if their current cannabis supplies run out.
That would lead to more people visiting hospitals, which could weigh heavily on the already overburdened healthcare systems.
- More people would begin to cast aspersions on the gains gained by medical researchers so far, on the benefits of marijuana.
If it’s billed as a potent therapeutic herb but experts cannot convince governments to allow weed supply to continue amidst the lockdown, then it’s probably not that great. Ultimately, that would adversely affect the integrity of the cannabis industry.
Several advocacy groups are lobbying relevant enforcement agencies to allow medical marijuana trade to go on amidst the lockdown to save millions of medical marijuana users all over the world, as well as safeguard the integrity of the industry.
They argue this will ensure that patients who’re currently on medical cannabis prescriptions continue to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of weed and improve their conditions. That way, there will be fewer cases of relapse and hospitalization, which gives healthcare practitioners ample time to focus on the novel coronavirus disease.
But these advocacy groups aren’t only focusing on medical cannabis users. It’s worth remembering that certain states and countries have since legalized marijuana for recreational use. The key phrase is “improved access,” whether one intends to use it for medicinal or recreational purposes.
Cannabis buds
Source: Pixabay.com
What’s The Response So Far?
Fortunately, various enforcement agencies have heeded the calls by lobby groups to relax their stringent policies regulating the trade and use of marijuana. In the US, states like California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Washington, etc., have already taken concrete measures and declared medical marijuana an essential commodity.
The following are some of the measures that various countries and states have put into place to expand access to cannabis products during the lockdown;
- Introduction of curbside pickup services by various Ontario cannabis retailers have enhanced the supply of weed while still observing social distancing measures.
- Issuance of medical marijuana recommendations virtually through telemedicine. This will ensure that patients don’t have to visit healthcare centers for marijuana-related consultations physically.
- Auto-renewal of marijuana licenses for traders whose permits are expired or soon expiring. That way, cannabis traders will continue to supply their products using valid licenses.
Most importantly, all of these measures are backed by executive orders in the respective states or countries where they’re issued.
With such initiatives in place, we’re likely to see a surge in demand for medical marijuana during and even after the coronavirus pandemic. Who knows – perhaps those executive orders will be turned into some serious cannabis legalization bills. Like that, marijuana may have been mainstreamed, with traders, users, and medical researchers as the ultimate winners.
A bottle of CBD oil
COVID-19 has, indeed, proved that medical marijuana is an essential commodity. However long the pandemic lasts, we’re likely to witness attitude shifts with regards to the trade and use of cannabis, moving forward.
