LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Following Governor Whitmer’s “stay at home” Executive Order issued Monday, new regulations are now in place for medical/recreational marijuana dispensaries in the state.
Executive Order No. 2020-21 will go into effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m., which requires many citizens to stay home in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Workers can leave home if they “are necessary to sustain or protect life or to conduct minimum basic operations.”
Following this development, the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) has announced that dispensaries can stay open provided they close facilities to the public and follow other guidelines.
“Licensed provisioning centers and licensed marijuana retailers may only engage in sales through curbside service or delivery; in-person transactions within the licensed facility or establishment are prohibited,” officials said in a statement.
Furthermore, dispensaries must practice the following tactics:
- licensees must comply with social distancing requirements for staff within the facilities and establishments.
- Licensees must designate only as many employees as necessary to show up to work to cover supplies and provide services and to maintain the value of inventory in general.
- Licensees are further encouraged to abide by all guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Kalamazoo-area dispensaries offering curbside service include Cannamazoo, who are also allowing online and phone orders. The dispensary made the announcement Monday.
Similarly, Compassionate Care has closed its lobby to the public and will instead offer curbside pickup and free delivery on their orders.
In Kalamazoo County, dispensary KKIND has announced their own curbside service rules. In a Facebook post written Sunday, officials are asking customers and patients to comply with the following practices:
- Online and phone orders are not being taken at this time.
- KKIND closes at 6 p.m. but may close earlier each day if needed.
- Customers should be prepared by bringing cash. No ATM is available at this time.
A representative of KKIND could not immediately be reached for comment.
News of the COVID-19 outbreak is changing rapidly. Citizens can keep up to date with the latest information at https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus/ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Meanwhile, MLive reports that a Twitter survey taken by www.bodynutrition.org indicates that Michigan citizens are using more marijuana products than any other state during the COVID-19 outbreak.
