News
 

COVID-19 Restrictions Might Be Hitting Cannabis Stores

3 Replies, 2886 Views

As North America order the shutdown of bars, restaurants, and gathering events, cannabis stores are experiencing a dramatic surge in sales that started over the weekend and now continues into the work week.

Consumers are stocking up now eyeing their potential future over in Europe where some nations have closed all retail outlets except food stores and pharmacies.

On Saturday, Boston’s WGBH broadcast images of customers lining up outside New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Brookline, one of the few licensed cannabis stores operating in Massachusetts. WGBH’s Tori Bedford reported:

WGBH’s Tori Bedford Wrote:In Brookline, marijuana dispensary New England Treatment Access has eliminated all walk-in orders due to a high volume of customers, and will now only serve customers who place orders in advance. “In light of the current environment, we will remain open,” an announcement on the NETA website reads, “but will move to Reserve Ahead only starting on Saturday.”
Inside the Brookline store, employees wear latex gloves, and bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray sit beside each checkout station. The process is efficient, a quick in-and-out, as compared to the massive lines seen snaking around the parking lot of the shop in the past few days, according to NETA employees.

Boston Mayor Mary Walsh imposed new restrictions on the city’s bars and restaurants. They will have to cut their capacity in half, and close by 11pm every night. As of now, there are no unusual restrictions on cannabis stores.

Also Sunday, the governors of Ohio and Illinois ordered all bars and restaurants closed. By mid-day Monday, similar orders had been issued in too many states to mention.

Stores moving to pre-order and pickup only

In Chicago, MOCA dispensary has gone medical-only, discontinuing adult-use sales.
On Seattle, Have A Heart is limiting the number of customers allowed in stores at any given time. All online orders get 10% off.
On Monday morning, Higher Leaf stores in Kirkland and Bellevue, WA, went to a mandatory pre-order system. “We will also be limiting the number of customers in the store so as to maintain a safe distance between people,” the store announced.

Sales data showing surge over past week

The cannabis data experts over at Headset have been tracking the surge. They report:

Headset Wrote:Sales of Adult Use cannabis in WA were up 23% on Friday, 14% on Saturday, and 33% on Sunday (over prior week). This was driven by a modest increase in total baskets (about 6% increase in tickets) and a large increase in average basket. Average baskets on Sunday were $33.70 before taxes, up 22% over the prior week and 28% compared to baskets in Jan and Feb of this year.

Shopping tips during COVID

  • Use licensed delivery—if available—in your area.
  • Pre-order and pickup to order ahead, and save time in-store.
  • Go early when the store opens to decrease exposure to others.
  • Keep six to nine feet apart from others.
  • Consider personal protective equipment like gloves, masks, and goggles when in enclosed spaces—like stores—with strangers. (Remember to discard that equipment afterward, and decontaminate, so as not to bring contamination inside your home.)

Links:
https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/cov...bis-stores
(This post was last modified: 03-16-2020, 04:33 PM by Ace-.)
Think people will start stocking up on weed like they're stocking up on toilet paper? Where I'm from we don't exactly have stores but people are freaking out in case we go into lockdown and they can't get their bud.
Complete lockdown in my town.  National Guard is here and you can't leave unless you have a medical emergency reason.  Stock up!!
The U.S. becomes the first country to report 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the USA; Trump invokes Defense Production Act today,
as reported by states’ health departments. The nation passed 10,000 cases on March 19 and on Thursday became the country with the most confirmed cases.
It is a serious pinpoint.



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)