COVID-19 Compassion: Cannabis Companies Are Helping Out

Deemed ‘essential’ in both Canada and the United States, cannabis companies have remained open amidst nearly everything else being closed. Receiving the same recognition as pharmacies, this classification is inspiring for those who have advocated for medical marijuana for decades. 

Not only are essential marijuanaservices currently continuing, but business is actually booming for North American cannabis companies. E-commerce and delivery options allow customers to continue purchasing with additional safety measures put in place. 

In Ontario, recent reports show that because of increased demand, lower prices are another silver lining for customers during this time. Some retail stores have experienced customer increases of up to 100% compared with previous weeks. 

Like grocery stores, and as one of the few businesses open and booming, dispensaries and weed companies are able to help out in a unique way. Meeting demand means that these canna-companies need more staff—providing work for employees laid-off from other industries. 

These companies are hiring additional retail workers, delivery drivers, and extra staff to handle increased shipments. In fact, some companies are encouraging newly unemployed workers to apply now to help companies meet the surge in demand. 

As an ‘essential’ business, cannabis companies are using their open doors to help out in another way, too. Across the United States and Canada, companies are using marijuana processing practices to produce another essential product of recent times—hand sanitizer. 

With the manufacturing equipment available, many companies have been producing (and donating) hand sanitizing gels. Canadian producer Organigram recently announced via Twitter that they’ll be donating 500 liters of ethanol from their production plant so that it can be converted to hand sanitizer. This will help support the local health care network in New Brunswick. Check out #CannabisCommunity and let the company know if there are any other resources they can share with the local community. 

Organigram joins other cannabis companies like Aloha Green Holdings—who is producing hand sanitizing gel that is free for any card-carrying medical marijuana patients. In California, CannaCraft has actually designated part of their production space to produce bottles of hand sanitizer. They already had the equipment ready and in-house scientists came up with a recipe that’s similar to what they use to make medicated topicals. 

The Commonwealth Dispensary Association consists of more than 36 Massachusetts marijuana companies—all of which are now producing hand sanitizer that will be donated to health care facilities in the state. 

This puts the cannabis industry in a new and unique position. Generally speaking, the health and cannabis industries have been at odds and now we’re in a time where cannabis producers, manufacturers, and retailers are able to provide much-needed support to local hospitals and health care facilities. This could be the beginning of a beautiful and blossoming relationship. 

Again, we don’t want to minimize the severity and devastation COVID-19 is causing. But we sure are glad to be associated with an industry that’s not only been recognized as an essential service for thousands of suffers but is also doing what it can to help out during this difficult time.