BY MICHELLE ANN RIZZIO
With the current state of affairs, cannabis has been deemed essential and available for users across the state of California. After a brief closing of dispensaries in San Francisco in mid-March, advocates of cannabis stood up to the closures and cannabis became deemed essential. This has been monumental for the ride that is recreational and legal cannabis. To go from being outlawed to deemed essential in the midst of a pandemic within 5 years is historic. With 4/20 behind us and the quarantine unpredictable as ever, cannabis dispensaries in the Coachella Valley are continuing to offer curbside pickup and expanding to offer delivery options as well.
In my opinion, I believe it is crucial for those that utilize cannabis in a medicinal fashion to stock up on their most effective options and to limit exposure to dispensaries and their workers by purchasing for 2 weeks at a time during visits. This allows for you to know that you have enough cannabis to meet your medicinal needs if something even more unpredictable were to occur–remember folks, this is all brand new. If you must go into a dispensary, most have lined their floors with 6ft reminders and require face masks for entrance. This is crucial for your health and the essential workers health. Remember, these workers are exposed to multiple people daily, so it is for your utmost safety to interact as if they have been exposed and protect yourself if you know yourself to be immunocompromised or easily ill.
Please, please, please avoid gathering and seshing with your friends. I know, it’s so difficult to not spark one up with a bud and puff, puff, pass. Instead, consider rolling separate joints or packing separate bowls. One of my favorite ways to sesh with friends during this time is via facetime. As someone who has maintained dozens of online relationships this is not something new to me, but to some of my friends it is. Of course nothing replaces the real thing but at this time I’m more concerned about my friends health and wellness than blowing trees in the air with them less than 6ft away.
During this time, I highly recommend utilizing sativas and hybrids. They have helped me immensely as a single mom with a heavy to-do list. I’ve been saving my beloved indicas for late into the evening when the list of what if’s and anxiety fill my mind. Especially anxiety about COVID-19. I’ve found having a quaranteam and people to check in with regularly has been so helpful. Also, knowing the symptoms has helped me as well.
Symptoms to watch out for include,
- Fever over 101
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient, or traveled recently to an area with ongoing spread.
Having a quaranteam to check in with when you feel concern about symptoms, or the state of things has been so helpful to me–especially during a facetime e-sesh. Stay safe and remember, if you do have to leave your house, restart your symptom watch back to day one starting when you get back into your home. Be responsible!
