With the spread of COVID-19 fears, states and cities nationwide
are in the process of issuing a variety of executive orders and
other ordinances shutting down businesses that are considered
"non-essential." However, what is considered
"essential" differs by state and locality. Across
the board, these laws have included healthcare services as
"essential." The question many have is whether marijuana
dispensaries will fall into this "essential"
category.
New York:
At the time of publication, Governor Cuomo's most recent
executive order remained pending. However, on March 18, 2020,
he announced that non-essential services will be forced to reduce
the number of employees reporting to work in person by 50
percent. As part of his announcement, he stated that
essential services included grocery stores, pharmacies, healthcare,
and shipping. At the same time, he voiced opposition to the
shelter-in-place plan floated by Mayor de Blasio.
