The Long Beach Health Department has deemed cannabis dispensaries as essential businesses, allowing them to stay open during the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted the city since mid-March.
Modern Buds, The Circle Long Beach Dispensary, and Med Men Long Beach are just a few of the licensed medical cannabis dispensaries that are staying open. Many locals gathered in six-foot spaced lines to grab what the Long Beach Health Department deems medical necessities.
Joe Barnes, the purchasing manager of one of Long Beach’s highly rated dispensaries on Google, Modern Buds in Belmont Heights, spoke about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on sales and daily functions during a phone interview on April 6.
“Two weeks ago, we had a four to five day period where we had a 40-45 percent increase in sales, a huge jump, when they shut down the city,” Barnes said.
“Once they shut down the city, we had a lot of people coming in. Now people get that we’re here, we’re open, and staying open, they went back to their old purchasing habits,” he said.
“Since then, we mellowed out, and business is the same as it was in January and February. People stocked up on what they thought they needed, but now we’re keeping at the same consistency,” Barnes said.
Those who flocked to the dispensaries did so in hopes of stocking up on their usual products of CBD, wax and hash products, and above all, medical grade marijuana, according to Barnes.
Lara Turnbull, MPH, division manager for chronic disease and injury prevention for Long Beach Health and Human Services, gave details on the importance of dispensaries to the public as well as amended restrictions for the sale of cannabis in an email sent on April 8.
“Licensed Medical Cannabis Dispensaries are classified under ‘Healthcare Operations’ and are therefore identified as an ‘essential business,’” said Turnbull.
As to whether or not this classification will change and cause closures, Turnbull said, “At this time, the ‘Safer at Home’ order does not call for the closure of any business identified as an essential business.”
“I have no information regarding any plans to further extend the existing list of closures but that determination is made by our city health officer, Dr. Anissa Davis,” Turnbull said.
“The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services continues to closely monitor this outbreak and information regarding this data will be used to shape any revisions to the order moving forward,” she added.
Besides following already existing social distancing protocols, such as having budtenders wear masks and gloves, having tape on the floor to emphasize social distancing of six feet or more, and having no more than ten people within a dispensary, the Long Beach Health Department has also made amendments to cannabis pickup and delivery orders, according to Turnbull.
“On March 28 the City of Long Beach, in an effort to further reduce the spread of COVID-19, issued amendments to the ‘Safer at Home’ order,” Turnbull said.
Additional restrictions that resulted from this amendment regarding the sale of cannabis include the following: Licensed medical cannabis dispensaries can temporarily do curbside pickups, and payment for cannabis and/or cannabis products must be made in advance of the pickup.
Upon pickup, the medical dispensary must verify that the identification of the patient is the same person who ordered curbside pickup by presenting a valid government-issued identification.
In addition, proof of a valid government-issued identification and the patient’s medical identification card must be submitted prior to the curbside pickup.
To ensure safety, products must also be delivered to patients in opaque packaging, and uniformed and licensed security personnel must be present during all curbside pickup transactions.
The health department still mandates that all other local and state laws, regulations, and lawful orders are adhered to.
Barnes said Modern Buds, like other dispensaries, is also promoting curbside pickup delivery.
“We keep the doors propped open if people need to walk in and make a purchase, and we try to be pretty aware and health conscious. I haven’t had any problems and don’t see them happening at all,” Barnes said.
Though dispensaries remain open, Dan Kato, an outreach worker for GreenlightLB, a resource program for health and safety information related to cannabis for the Long Beach Health Department, spoke about the importance of safe cannabis use during a phone interview on April 6.
“We don’t recommend that people use cannabis to address stress or anxiety, oftentimes it can worsen anxiety and stress. If you need help for anxiety and stress, we recommend that you use a mental health professional and physician,” Kato said.
Certain methods of cannabis consumption should also be avoided, according to Kato.
“People shouldn’t be vaping or smoking, and should be avoiding inhalation methods. Sometimes you’re inhaling unclean air, and some of the cannabis smoke has the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Vaping cannabis can be problematic as well,” Kato said.
With the coronavirus specifically attacking the respiratory system, Kato also addressed whether or not smoking cannabis puts one at a higher risk for developing respiratory complications from the virus.
“No research is being done towards cannabis and COVID-19, but in earlier studies, tobacco smokers were more susceptible toward the COVID-19 virus, but that information is still evolving,” Kato said.
“If tobacco smokers are at risk, then cannabis smokers can be at risk, but there can be differences between tobacco and cannabis smokers. For example, usually tobacco smokers use and smoke more often,” Kato said.
Still, medical marijuana dispensaries remain busy, with locals continuing to buy various products that can be consumed without being inhaled, such as edible marijuana treats, soft-gels, and CBD products that provide no high but claim other popular health benefits.
One marijuana dispensary, King’s Crew Long Beach near CSULB, even continues to offer free tacos with a purchase on Tuesdays at the time of this writing.
Those who work in the dispensaries, such as Barnes, are confident that even with stricter guidelines in place due to the coronavirus, people will continue to buy from marijuana dispensaries.
According to Barnes, the evolving, once controversial marijuana industry is, if not an essential business in Long Beach, one that is an essential to the public and to the American economy.