Recreational marijuana companies are excited to get back to work on Monday, as the state’s reopening plan allows adult-use dispensaries to start selling cannabis products again using a curbside pickup model.
For Joe Lusardi, the CEO of Curaleaf, if there was one silver lining of being closed for two months during the pandemic, it was that the dispensary could build its inventory. All of Curaleaf’s products are expected to be available on Monday when curbside pickup operations commence.
“The only upshot to this whole thing is we’ve been able to build inventory over the last 10 weeks. Massachusetts has historically been supply-contained because the demand is so great. The only silver lining is there will be a lot of inventory available for customers,” Lusardi said.
Stores have been shut down since March 24 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though Gov. Charlie Baker considered medical marijuana essential businesses and allowed them to operate. Phase 1 of the state’s reopening plan allows for recreational stores to reopen with curbside pickup. The Cannabis Control Commission this week has allowed recreational stores to offer curbside pickup, something that was allowed for medical marijuana treatment centers in March.
“We were obviously disappointed that we were closed to begin with,” said Lusardi.
Curaleaf has dispensaries in Oxford, Provincetown and Ware. With no medical marijuana option on lower Cape Cod, Lusardi said customers in that area have been underserved in the last two months while recreational stores were closed per an order from Baker.
“We think there’s a lot of people on the Cape that really rely on our products, including people who use it for medical purposes and veterans. We’re excited to get back to work,” Lusardi said. “We heard from a lot of people that were struggling when we were out of business, how much they relied on our product."
How exactly curbside pickup will work varies for each dispensary, in part hinging on whether locations have a parking lot or are in more congested, urban areas.
For Curaleaf stores, customers are asked to make orders online or by phone and will be given a pickup time. When that time comes, customers will get out of their car and complete the transaction at the front door of the dispensary. Curleaf is also trying to limit cash transactions, Lusardi said, and can accept debit card payment.
“I expect there’s going to be a huge, pent up demand," Lusardi said. “We’re certainly going to do our best to manage the flow. We want to make sure we can maintain social distancing so we’re using a lot of techniques like online ordering and a virtual waiting list so people can not be in crowds in front of the store."
The shift to a curbside operation from a traditional store is a big adjustment for the industry, Lusardi said.
“If you think about our dispensaries, they were previously brick and mortar, traditional retail stores with a lot of education and one-on-one consultation. They’ve really become fulfillment centers so it’s a bit of a paradigm shift for the industry right now," he said. “The reality is I think that where we are today is frankly, probably the new normal for a while and we have to reimagine the business and make sure we can provide access to our customers.
Curaleaf furloughed nearly 70 employees during the pandemic, Lusardi said, and will be bringing everyone back. Lusardi said he expects furloughed employees across the industry to go back to work at their dispensaries.
Lusardi said in the state’s industry, an estimated 2,000 employees lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
“I think that 2,000 families are going to be happy to be getting a paycheck again,” Lusardi said.
Good Chemistry in Worcester is reopening for adult-use customers on Tuesday and will have areas designated for pickup from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Medical patients will still have prioritized in-store service, a spokeswoman said, with expanded hours from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
“We’re grateful to be able to serve the full Worcester community again, and we’ve developed a plan to provide adult-use customers safe, efficient access to cannabis products via online ordering and pickup at two designated areas at our 9 Harrison St. location,” Good Chemistry said in a statement.
Good Chemistry asks customers to place online orders, which must be picked up the same day they are placed. Customers will receive a confirmation text message when their order is available for pickup and are asked to park on the street or at nearby lots and walk to the dispensary.
Once at the dispensary, customers may be asked to stand in line to wait to pick up their order and practice safe social distancing. Customers are also required to wear a mask.
Cultivate in Leicester will still be selling product to patients, a clear start time for recreational sales is unclear as of Thursday afternoon.
“With Governor Baker including adult use marijuana sales in the phase-one reopening plan, Cultivate will be able to start curbside ordering for recreational customers very soon. Right now, we are working to implement the new procedures and guidelines, issued by the State and the Cannabis Control Commission,” Cultivate spokeswoman Francy Wade said in a statement. “While we hope to reopen on May 25, we want to ensure these safety protocols are in place for our staff and customers. We want to make sure we are always providing a positive and safe experience for everyone, before relaunching adult use.”
Cultivate asked customers to check its website, where online ordering and procedures will be detailed once they are in place.
New England Treatment Access, which has dispensaries in Brookline and Northampton, is asking customers to make reserve ahead orders.
NETA in Brookline is closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday, per the dispensary’s local license, and will reopen Tuesday. NETA in Northhampton is open Monday, however, and will restart adult-use sales then.
All orders must be placed through NETA’s online ordering system ahead of time, according to the NETA website. Using the online reserve ahead system, adult-use and medical customers will select a scheduled pickup time.
“Like all retailers, our capacity will be limited to eliminate crowding and ensure proper distancing. This important change will help us to manage the flow of customers and patients arriving at any point in time. It is critically important that you arrive on time to assist in this effort,” the website reads. “If you arrive outside of your scheduled pick up time, we may not be able to serve you.”
All customers and patients are required to wear face masks or coverings. Adult-use customers will complete their purchase in a specifically marked area of the NETA parking lot.
NETA said it will continue serving patients with the same measures used in the last two months. Patients will be guided into the dispensary to complete their transaction, or, in Northampton, medical patients will also be able to stay in their cars. For patients in Brookline, orders can be placed for delivery on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
As sales resume Monday, Canna Provisions is holding the grand opening of an Easthampton shop that was originally called the Verb is Herb. Canna Provisions is in the process of buying the shop and changing its name to match its location already open in Lee and another that is expected to open in Holyoke.
Erik Williams, the Canna Provisions COO, said the company is filming videos and setting up remote video links to assist first-time users electronically and guide them through product choices.
Medical marijuana treatment centers have been operating with curbside pickup for two months. Revolutionary Clinics, which has medical dispensaries in Cambridge and Somerville, is already starting to look ahead at planning for when customers can eventually enter locations again.
Revolutionary Clinics CEO Keith Cooper said they started taking precautions two months ago, securing gloves and masks for staff, offering more sick time to employees and moving to online ordering. Though patients aren’t allowed in the store now, Cooper said glass separators were installed in the retail space.
“When we do reopen more broadly, we chose to install really nice barriers between the patient advocates and the customers,” Cooper said. “They do their job ... but they also make people feel more comfortable at a safer distance.”
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