Initially, many cannabis dispensaries remained open, as they were deemed essential by state governments in most places that cannabis was legal.
Though in Ontario, it's looking like it'll be a different story for many dispensary owners.
On Friday, the provincial government of Ontario announced that cannabis dispensaries would be removed from their list of essential businesses, with cannabis shops being legally ordered to close as of Saturday night. The closures will remain in place for a minimum of 14 days, but will likely go on much longer than that.
The only legal avenue for Ontario residents to continue procuring recreational cannabis will now be through online purchases at the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), who will be the only licensed cannabis retailer remaining open during the closures.
According to the OCS's communications director Daffyd Roderick, the Ontario Cannabis Store will be implementing several measures to ensure the company can facilitate an increased volume of orders amid the pandemic. Firstly, the OCS will be operating on a 24/7 basis, and the store has announced that it will no longer be able to provide "same-day" shipping, given the marked increase in sales.
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