How ‘essential’ transformed the US marijuana industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic
During the tumultuous weeks and months of the past year, a nine-letter word emerged as a game changer for the nation’s legal marijuana industry: “essential.”
It began about a week after the World Health Organization on March 11 declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic.
That’s when California announced a statewide business lockdown, followed by Illinois.
Both states also designated marijuana operators as “essential” – along with pharmacies, supermarkets and liquor stores – and those businesses were allowed to stay open.