The global lockdown is causing immense chaos and panic buying, as the population tries to prepare itself for the quarantine. To cope up with the new restrictions, necessities such as food and toilet paper are the first to be stocked up by the population.
However Californians have recognized another “essential”– cannabis. While the local officials are shutting down the non- essential businesses, huge cannabis sales have been recorded in California and other states, by the dispensaries and delivery services.
Gov. Gavin Newsom had issued an order across the state, allowing all licensed cannabis businesses in California to be uninterrupted of the effective statewide lockdown that was executed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. While this decision has classified the cannabis companies as “essential businesses”, it has boosted the sales in the marijuana industry during this statewide lockdown.
Before Newsom’s official declaration, there was ambiguity of where the business could operate legally in the state after the Governor’s official issuance of the statewide lockdown. However, the sales shot up to nearly 230 percent within a week, owing the increase mainly to Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley (giving a combined sale of 66 percent), right before the official declaration of the cannabis businesses as “essential businesses”.