Jameson Berkow: COVID-19 made cannabis ‘essential,’ but governments aren’t treating the industry that way

Cannabis has long been considered essential by its consumers, but the COVID-19 crisis made that status official.

In both Canada and the United States, cannabis businesses are blocked from accessing multi billion-dollar — or, in the U.S. case, multi trillion-dollar — bailout packages that are being made available to virtually every other sector of the economy. America at least can cite its ongoing federal cannabis prohibition as an excuse — illegal businesses cannot access legal funding, after all — but Canada can no longer hide behind the law.

It is not just toilet paper folks are stockpiling these days. Canadian legal pot sales spiked 21 per cent on Friday, March 13, compared to the previous Friday, according to data published on March 24 by Colorado-based market research firm BDS Analytics, and have been trending higher ever since. Top U.S. markets, BDS said, have also seen “unprecedented COVID-19 sales.”

“How do you hire employees right now? How do you train people if you can’t bring them together? Really, the worst part is that we were kind of right on the doorstep. We have our license, we have an operator license, stores that are in the process of being approved by the regulator. We were literally on the doorstep, but the reality is we cannot go any further,” he said.

Maybe now is a good time to work on that sobriety plan.......

Sverige Senaste nytt, Sverige Rubriker

Similar News:Du kan också läsa nyheter som liknar den här som vi har samlat in från andra nyhetskällor.

Food industry 'decimated' as consumers abandon restaurants in COVID-19 pandemic: reportRestaurant costs for 2020 will be much lower than initially forecast as consumers spend more of their dining-out budgets at grocery stores instead, according to an updated food price report that predicts annual restaurant sales will be slashed in half. Your only 2 weeks behind as compared to the US on this. Maybe Skippy should get the White House Admin to do up a plan for Canada. WH Admin new the Food Industry would be hit hard and it was included in their plan. No one abandoned restaurants. We can’t go there until covid19 has run its course. Then we will be back immediately. 'consumers abandon restaurants'. eh?
Källa: CTVNews - 🏆 1. / 99 Läs mer »

Ottawa to spend $2-billion on medical gear as Canadian industry retools to battle COVID-19Trudeau said two Canadian startups will provide innovative solutions that will allow for one million tests for coronavirus in the next year and the production of 500 ventilator units in the coming months How much of that $2 billion is going to China? No doubt, Trudeau will also thank them.
Källa: globeandmail - 🏆 5. / 92 Läs mer »