COVID-19 has had a massive impact on many aspects of our lives. From the ways in which we socialize and meet up with friends to how we spend our free time and more, the pandemic has rocked the nation and served as a catalyst for major change and reform. And the cannabis industry also has not avoided the impacts of the pandemic.
But how has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the cannabis industry, and have these changes been for the better or for the worse? Today, we’ll be looking at how COVID-19 has changed the cannabis industry and how these changes are set to stand the test of time, or if they’ll fizzle out of existence once the pandemic has passed.
How COVID-19 Has Changed the Cannabis Industry
Though it might not immediately seem like the cannabis industry would have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry has seen changes as a result of the disease. However, there are actually a few different ways in which the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the cannabis industry, and some of these changes – we hope, at least – will stand the test of time and become a stable part of the cannabis industry going forward!
Changing the Way Deliveries are Made
One of the areas that has been most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is the delivery and shipping industry. As a result of this, many businesses in the cannabis industry have had to make changes to how they get their products to customers.
For one thing, deliveries have been taking a lot longer to process oftentimes; this is perhaps to be expected with so many more people ordering online! In addition to this, with the arrival of lockdowns that prevented us from being able to travel as much, companies have needed to adjust the way they get their products to customers.
The same is the case in the cannabis industry. Prior to the pandemic, many of the biggest cannabis companies and cannabis seed banks relied heavily on a single, primary distribution center with multiple local stores; however, the pandemic changed things. It was no longer easy to ship out orders from a main warehouse, and physical shops were unable to open and accept customers.
In response to this, many businesses in the cannabis industry have begun switching their physical stores to offering local delivery, with colleagues and staff members managing the deliveries for local customers. This personalized delivery, we feel, is a major advantage for cannabis customers, with less reliance being made on delivery companies to get the products to customers’ doors.
That’s not the only delivery difference that has been seen as a result of the COVID pandemic, though! Indeed, in order to improve their services for customers during these difficult times, many cannabis companies have been looking at ways in which they can optimize their services. This means that areas and issues which have been delaying the ordering and delivery process for customers have largely been improved; this, in turn, has helped to keep deliveries on time during the pandemic. Assuming that companies continue to work in this improved manner, it should be possible for post pandemic deliveries to be further improved.
Here’s hoping local delivery options will remain viable for cannabis companies in the post-COVID future, too!
Future-Proofing Business Models
For many businesses in the cannabis industry, a large portion of their revenue comes from the tourism side of cannabis. This is particularly the case for businesses located in prime tourist destinations such as Los Angeles. As a result of this, many of these businesses have found themselves suffering without their normal customer base – and so, these businesses have found ways to evolve and grow in order to meet customer demand for high quality cannabis products.
This is something that we hope will continue in the future, too, giving both customers and businesses alike a huge amount of potential and opening the door for new products, services,
The Approach to Legalization
Another change that has been seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is the push in terms of cannabis legalization. Indeed, there has been a rapidly growing movement around the world in recent times, with many people calling on governments to legalize cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational purposes. However, the pandemic has served to highlight the demand for cannabis legalization further.
Presently, dispensaries of cannabis and cannabis seeds have been considered as essential businesses in many parts of the country. Why, then, is cannabis still legalized, people have been arguing, and why is it still possible for people to be jailed for owning or using cannabis if dispensaries are considered so important as to be allowed to open?
Furthermore, with the massive strain on the country’s finances posed by the pandemic, there is also a rapidly growing school of thought pointing out that the revenue from cannabis taxation could be more important now than ever.
As such, we hope that in the coming months and years, there will be a change toward more favorable laws and rules regarding cannabis and cannabis companies. In turn, this would also allow cannabis companies to invest more into their range of products as well as helping to support the recovery and economic growth of the country.
Looking to the Future
Though there’s no saying yet when the COVID-19 pandemic will truly be over, with the release of brand new vaccines, it’s hopeful that the end may be in sight. However, the pandemic has changed the way in which the world sees cannabis, and the cannabis industry itself has also revolutionized in order to keep up with the demands and pressures placed upon it by COVID.
With companies changing their delivery policies and product range in order to keep up with demand placed upon them by the pandemic, and hopefully a shift in perception and policy surrounding the cannabis industry, it seems hopeful that the future for the industry could be bright.
