In March, when everyone was shutting down and cannabis was proving itself to be an essential business across the U.S., Canada was also experiencing a surge in cannabis sales.
Some New York lawmakers and the Legal Aid Society are calling for last-minute legislation that would legalize marijuana as the state deals with a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Earlier this year, prior to the pandemic, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that he had intentions to legalize marijuana, as it would potentially bring $300 million in revenues to the state.
However, once the pandemic struck, Cuomo dedicated his time and resources to that, and the state is now facing a potential $61 billion shortfall.
The time of prophets is long past; however, crises similar to COVID-19 are likely to crop up in the future. Luckily, many governments declared cannabis an essential industry, and the business was naturally adapted to social distancing, but what are the strengths that make the cannabis industry so resilient in times of panic? What would be a successful reopening, and how can we plan for events like this in the future?
It was high anxiety on display in Boston Monday as the city’s only pot shop had a line wrapped around the building.
Dorchester’s Pure Oasis was the place to go for weed — and the line showed the demand for legal cannabis during the coronavirus lockdown hasn’t fallen off.
“I didn’t understand the need for them to close because some people need (cannabis) to stay healthy. It’s medicine. I’m just glad they’re open again,” said Sebastian Patino of Dorchester. Medical marijuana was allowed during the stay-at-home advisory.
Cannabis company stocks are skyrocketing as investors are high on new hopes that marijuana might help ward off the deadly coronavirus.
Shares in major pot firms climbed in late trading Thursday after The Post reported on a Canadian study showing that certain strains of cannabis may help prevent COVID-19 from entering host cells.
As the country slowly opens up and returns to a semblance of normalcy, many Americans may struggle to remember that this year is also an election year—and unsurprisingly a pivotal one at that. Beyond the important matters of protecting the lives of our citizens and rebuilding the economy, the future of the cannabis industry will also be determined in this year’s election, although not in the branch of government that many might expect.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed legislation on decriminalising marijuana possession in the state.
The new law goes into effect 1 July.
Governor Northam, a Democrat, signed two identical bills, Senate Bill 2 and House Bill 972, creating a civil penalty of no more than $25 for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, with no jail time.
In the world of cannabis consumption, what’s good for the goose isn’t always what’s good for the gander.
