WASHINGTON, D.C., (March 18, 2020)—The Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (GACC), a trade organization representing a major cross-section of the global cannabis industry, is monitoring the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and is following measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health departments.
The CDC has information available on its website at https://www.coronavirus.gov that provides the latest information about COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. GACC strongly encourages all cannabis companies to share the CDC’s guidance with employees, and to implement protocols in workplaces in line with those CDC-recommended measures and public health department pronouncements to ensure employee and consumer safety. Cannabis businesses are encouraged to set up appointment times for consumers making use of in-store services to avoid overcrowding.
State and local health departments in localities where medical cannabis is available to patients are encouraged to follow the examples of the State of New York and the City of San Francisco, and to deem state-licensed cannabis businesses essential services not subject to closure. Millions of American patients in thirty-three states and the District of Columbia rely on cannabis to treat severe medical conditions, including the symptoms of HIV/AIDs, epilepsy, and cancer. Jurisdictions are further encouraged to implement expeditiously rules permitting cannabis pickup and home delivery for licensed medical retailers in order to facilitate patient access and the implementation of CDC-recommended measures.
Cannabis conumers should be aware that cannabis has not been shown to cure the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), despite false reports to the contrary.
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About The Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (GACC)
The Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (GACC) exists to provide policymakers and legislators with the guidance necessary to take the nascent cannabis industry from the grey market into a global provider of medical and adult-use cannabis products. GACC advocates in front of government policymakers and legislators in order to legalize and regulate the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, or use of medical and adult-use cannabis products globally. For more information contact Randal John Meyer, executivedirector@globalcannabiscommerce.org
GACC recently released “ground-breaking” model cannabis legislation, which would legalize cannabis in the United States with a comprehensive regulatory framework for safe access, justice reform, and respect for state laws. GACC is represented in Washington, D.C. by K&L Gates LLP.
