The coronavirus has had a massive impact on the coronavirus cannabis industry in Washington, D.C. Initially, it was unsure how the Weed Events in D.C., D.C. Marijuana Delivery Services, and Smoke Shops in Washington D.C. would operate due to the everchanging national and local shutdowns. D.C. weed delivery companies have found themselves well-positioned to capitalize on the current market conditions. Residents of D.C. have opted to avoid the crowds by choosing services that have curbside pickups and home deliveries.
As of June 22, Washington, D.C. is in Phase Two of reopening.
If you are out in D.C., you are required to wear a mask, with a few exceptions for vigorous exercise or while you’re actively eating or drinking. A self-quarantine of 14 days is required after participating in non-essential travel to/from high-risk areas (see list of states below) when returning or traveling to Washington, D.C., beginning July 27.
The limitations have made it more challenging for companies to operate within the city and many have shifted their models.
Companies and vendors who used to operate at the popular D.C. Weed Events or D.C. Weed Storefronts have launched delivery and meetups services within Washington, D.C.
For example, StreetlawyerServices Gifts temporarily shut down their storefront at 409 H St NE and focused on their delivery service. They have since re-opened their storefront for all essential gifts and supplies.
Many of the popular events have had to alter the way they operate to maintain safety for all participants involved.
Fast Slice D.C., one of the top weed delivery companies in Washington D.C., has seen a steady increase in activity since the beginning of the shutdowns. Derek, an owner of Fast Slice D.C., explained, “At the beginning of the Pandemic, we were overwhelmed with new activity. Many individuals, confronting the uncertainty of the times, turned to cannabis for a sense of comfort.”
As things progressed and the city began to reopen, the surge continued as residents of D.C. came to enjoy the safety and convenience of home deliveries. “We feel very fortunate to be able to operate in a thriving industry during a time of economic uncertainty, and have tried to use it as an opportunity to give back. We have seen a massive increase in those looking for work – most notably coming from the restaurant industry. While other jobs that have returned since their initial recess came back in full swing, many in the restaurant industry saw their earnings slashed to 1/3 or ¼ of where it was pre-pandemic and were forced to look elsewhere to supplement their income.”
This has been a strong trend that we have seen in the industry. Many delivery companies are scaling at an exponential pace. VAPackBoyz CEO explained he recently hired up to 3 new employees to help him scale effectively over the past 3 weeks. Since he started leveraging all marketing channels including Instagram, VAPackBoyz has had trouble keeping up with all of the new customers and orders.
When talking with several cannabis consumers over the recent weeks, their message has been consistent- many are filling the void of going out on nights and weekends with cannabis use. Instead of going to the bar to meet friends for a Friday night, they may turn to a bag of BagheadBoys, and a blunt. Rather than social drinking, many are finding that cannabis use allows them to feel more relaxed and at ease with everything going on in the world. Multiple people have expressed how cannabis use has helped their mental health during these unprecedented times. The coronavirus caught many people by surprise and people are still adapting every day to the new norms. Some people who used to attend events, now primarily order through delivery services in D.C. due to coronavirus fears and precautions. In Washington, D.C., there are tons of options for people to help find cannabis or CBD for safe consumption.
Weedwookie believes that “we will continue to see a paradigm shift in the social use of cannabis. With many more people turning to cannabis use during the Coronavirus, and lawmakers becoming more open to federal legalization, the tides are truly starting to turn. We are getting very close to full legalization and that will bring on another major wave of new cannabis consumers as well as loosen some of the restrictive regulations on marketing in the cannabis industry. This will allow many celebrity and powerful influencers to come out of the dark about their cannabis use, and allow for a much more inclusive and accepting community”. It will be important for states to understand and have a program in place for cannabis delivery programs.
Washington, D.C. was quick to make a change to their medical delivery program. This emergency rulemaking was adopted on April 14, 2020, and became effective immediately on that date.
This emergency rulemaking is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the District’s residents reducing the spread of COVID-19 by enabling District of Columbia residents registered as qualifying patients to obtain medical marijuana while also adhering to social distancing guidelines and the District of Columbia Stay at Home Order, Mayor’s Order 2020-054 dated March 30, 2020.
The purpose of this rulemaking is to allow, temporarily, District of Columbia registered dispensaries to provide medical marijuana to qualifying patients through delivery, curbside pickup, and at-the-door pickup options.
The rules allowed for the medical dispensaries to extend their hours of delivery as well as register 1 vehicle to deliver to qualified patients throughout the city.
We will continue to monitor and update everyone on the status of delivery during coronavirus in Washington D.C.