{"id":458,"date":"2020-03-23T19:20:01","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T19:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/?p=458"},"modified":"2020-03-25T18:48:40","modified_gmt":"2020-03-25T18:48:40","slug":"cannabis-and-covid-19-telehealth-in-massachusetts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/cannabis-and-covid-19-telehealth-in-massachusetts\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis and COVID-19: Telehealth in Massachusetts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Shelley Swearingen \u2013 March 23, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an understatement to say we are all feeling the effects of the coronavirus. Our lives have changed dramatically, and the full magnitude is still unknown. The most obvious & immediate consequences are those of self-quarantine and social distancing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\nstates have enacted measures to limit the contact of residents in the hopes of\nquelling the spread of the Coronavirus. One way to do this is to order the\nclosure of non-essential business. Retail establishments have shuttered their\ndoors with a few exceptions: grocery stores, hardware stores, pharmacies, and\ndispensaries. In states where marijuana is legal, licensed cannabis shops have\nbeen deemed \u2018essential\u2019. This is a saving grace to the marijuana industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislators and state officials recognize that many utilize marijuana for purposes other than solely recreational. Many consider marijuana medicine and feel that access should not be disconnected. There are still restrictions, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dispensaries\nare following physical distancing guidelines established by the CDC and\nencouraging customers\/patients to utilize online ordering. Dispensaries will\nplace markers on the floor as to where patients\/customers should wait to limit\ncontact and many are offering curbside pickup to online customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nCannabis Control Commission (CCC) of Massachusetts has taken social distancing\nan additional step. Massachusetts state law requires a patient meet with a\ndoctor in person for approval as a patient in the medical marijuana program.\nThe Executive Director of the CCC issued guidance on this requirement and is\nallowing an exception. During the state of emergency imposed by the governor, a\nProvider may submit a waiver request to the CCC to approve a potential patient\nvia telehealth mediums. It was determined that the requirement of the patient\nto appear physically may proliferate the spread of the virus and undermine the\norder of the Governor. 1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This viral response has undoubtedly affected every person in the country. The true implications and severity will not be known until a later date. The marijuana market is in its infancy and will truly be tested. I have faith the market will not only survive but be a driving force in helping America regain its footing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UPDATE: 3\/25\/20 — The state of Massachusetts has issued a ‘stay at home’ advisory; all adult-use dispensaries have been ordered to cease & desist operations from March 24th through April 7th 2020. Cannabis dispensaries serving medical patients may continue operations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experts at KL Security review the health and well-being of operational protocols to give the best guidance for deterring diversion; we have proven our abilities to institute protocols for compliance and SOPs that coincide with legislation and adhere to security requirements.  Utilizing the Total Harvest Coverage methodology<\/a> for security plans as well as cannabis business operation improvements \u2013 we have successful projects in facilities in multiple states. We\u2019ve helped leaders in the national cannabis industry drive revenue and stay compliant with state laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information has been gathered from sources\ndeemed reliable but not guaranteed and is subject to change without notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Bulletin \u2013 Telehealth Consultations for New Patients<\/a> <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Shelley Swearingen \u2013 March 23, 2020 It\u2019s an understatement to say we are all feeling the effects of the coronavirus. Our lives have changed dramatically, and the full magnitude is still unknown. The most obvious & immediate consequences are those of self-quarantine and social distancing. Many states have enacted measures to limit the contact … Continue reading Cannabis and COVID-19: Telehealth in Massachusetts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=458"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":465,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/458\/revisions\/465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.klsecurity.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}