“Ask me about something important,” he shot back, before calling on the next journalist. 

Less than eight years later, as this unprecedented global pandemic spread across the world, Colorado’s leaders deemed cannabis dispensaries “essential businesses” and kept them open when so many businesses were forced to shut down. Three dozen other jurisdictions across the U.S. did the same. This “essential” designation carries great responsibility and places a burden on the cannabis industry to ensure that the businesses are in compliance with very strict regulations and good corporate citizenry.  

Within this designation are numerous distinctions. In Massachusetts, medical marijuana businesses could operate during the stay-at-home order, but adult-use stores could not. At first, Colorado decided to follow the same rules. After Denver Mayor Michael Hancock made this announcement, lines formed outside adult-use marijuana stores. When several attorneys from the Hoban Law Group expressed their displeasure over this ruling to the City and County of Denver, Mayor Hancock reversed course and allowed both medical and adult-use marijuana businesses to continue to operate during the lockdown.

Courier hand passing package with marijuana to client close-up