It is only recently that Canada has legalized cannabis but it has already become a part of the national landscape. Medical benefits and recreational use are so predominant that even in the middle of a global pandemic, stores, distribution centres and online dispensaries have been allowed to keep running as “essential services”.
What Makes an Essential Service?
Both provincial and federal governments built their lists of essential services around what would benefit people’s daily lives. Grocery stores, pharmacies, take-out restaurants are all on these lists but so is cannabis – so, what exactly makes an essential service?
Access to food and groceries is essential to living, so these are an obvious addition to the list. While it is possible to live without cannabis for a period, many people depend on cannabis products to help manage pain and other medical ailments. In the past, a prescription was needed to incorporate cannabis into treatment plans but now, with pathways opened these products are more popular than ever.
Just the idea of a pandemic is enough to make anyone nervous, and living through one is even worse. With stress levels and anxiety going through the roof, cannabis is a natural choice for coping. For those with a medical need for marijuana, shop closures could have major consequences.
A Thriving Industry
In addition to providing a necessary service, the cannabis industry is helping to keep the economy running. Grow-ops, distributors, shippers and farmers are all hard at work creating accessible product from coast to coast. Despite global uncertainty, chains in the cannabis industry remain intact.
