Marijuana dispensaries have been considered essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing consumers to purchase cannabis products and medications across medicinal and recreational states. This is great news for those who depend on cannabis as a part of their positive health and wellness regimens. As the world health pandemic conditions and the climate continues to worsen during the month of April 2020, the reality of being home on 4/20/20 is quite disappointing for much of the cannabis industry. With increased anxiety and excessive worrying around the effects of the Coronavirus, many individuals have sought out relief with cannabis medicines.
4/20 is recognized as the unofficial holiday for the cannabis industry, cannabis patients and cannabis enthusiasts and this year’s 4/20 patients leaves people in a very unique situation. All 4/20 social gatherings are canceled and prohibited nationwide.
So what does someone do on 4/20 this year that supports social distancing, staying home, staying away from the normal social gatherings that are now prohibited in the United States? Here are some ideas to help:
1) Have a canna tele-party! Social distancing encourages people to stay away from people and stay at home if possible. With social media, there are so many options for people to connect with other people and share some canna-love! Going Live, group chats and social media timelines will most likely flood with cannabis friendly posts. Join the party and stay home!
2) Try a new cannabis product or strain. In 2020, cannabis has evolved to be much more than the flowers that created negative propaganda about cannabis with the movie, “Reefer Madness”. Flowers are the most natural form of cannabis but with concentrates, oils, cannabis-infused drinks, edibles and capsules, the options to medicate with cannabis continue to increase. The cannabis industry continues to be one of the fastest-growing industries and the varieties are out there for consumers to choose from. Make this 4/20 interesting and try something new.
3) Watch your favorite cannabis-related films or TV shows. Being home on 4/20/20 has its advantages. Classic movies like “How High” or “Half Baked” will be on the video line up for many people. Even binge-watching shows like Weeds. Cannabis-related films, documentaries, and video content is plentiful and as cannabis content becomes more acceptable amongst the mainstream, there are more options for people to watch positive, canna friendly material. Find some new cannabis content to watch that may help keep up the momentum.
4) Write a letter to you’re your government officials about issues related to cannabis laws in your state. The history around 4/20 leads us back to the long battle of cannabis prohibition. Even though individual states throughout the United States have made their individual strides to addressing the unique needs presented by cannabis consumers and patients. Identify your cause, gather the knowledge and prepare your letter with a purpose. This is one of the most powerful ways that we can make 4/20/20 the most powerful unofficial cannabis holiday yet.
Words by: Sonia Singh, LCSW, LCADC, “The Happy Therapist”, a double board-licensed Psychotherapist, who specializes in addressing mental health and wellness concerns with legal cannabis-based medicines and therapy.
THESOURCE.COM Marijuana Reporter 4/2020
