Out of crisis comes opportunity.
The coronavirus pandemic has slowed most traditional business to a dead stop. But in Pennsylvania, it has sparked a near revolution in the way the marijuana industry operates.
“It’s a hell of a thing,” said William G. Roark, a Philadelphia-area attorney with a cannabis law practice. “We may not be able to buy bourbon at a liquor store, but we now live in a world where we have drive-thru medical marijuana.”
Gov. Tom Wolf was one of the first governors in the U.S. to call medical marijuana growers and dispensaries “essential businesses.” That declaration in mid-March served as a catalyst, creating temporary changes that most cannabis advocates and business owners thought might take years to implement — cashless transactions, use of telemedicine, and de facto home delivery.
It’s now easier to be certified as a patient. The process is friendlier and less cumbersome. State residents suffering from any one of 23 serious health ailments — from anxiety to chronic pain to cancer — no longer have to visit a doctor in person. They can do it by phone or video-conference.