Dispensaries in Denver were deemed essential businesses on Monday March 24th. This was decided after Mayor Hancock pulled back Denver’s decision to close dispensaries at 5:00 pm on March 25th. So why was it decided that dispensaries (both recreational and medical) were deemed essential?
After the announcement that the city of Denver was planning on closing recreational dispensaries after 5:00 pm on March 25th it caused citizens to rush purchase their relief. This situation exemplifies the fact that although someone maybe purchasing cannabis recreationally, it doesn’t mean it’s not for medical relief.
In order to obtain a med card in Colorado a patient needs to schedule a consultant appointment with a doctor, which usually costs between $60 – $120. After the appointment fee, the application cost to apply with a doctors note through is $16.10. To some this may seem low-cost, but to others the cost of a med card can break the bank.
That leaves thousands of cannabis users in a weird grey area where they’re using cannabis as medicine but are buying it from recreational dispensaries. Which is likely why dispensaries in Denver saw a rush panicked citizens Monday night.
After the announcement was made that dispensaries would stay open, the lines calmed down. We believe that this is another strong example that yes; recreational cannabis and medical cannabis are they same thing. People use cannabis for a variety of reasons including pain relief, nausea and helping with sleep.
Breaking the stigma for cannabis use will take years of the industry re-writing the narrative behind the plant and why people use it. On March 24th we started down on a path that will hopefully show the world that relief is relief, regardless of where the cannabis was purchased.
