Amid a statewide stay-at-home order marijuana delivery services are booming in California, with some businesses reporting a 50 percent spike in sales.
This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.
Weed deliveries high amid California lockdown
As the majority of Americans hunker down in their homes – demand is high for delivery services.
And in places where it’s legal, marijuana deliveries are soaring.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) KYLE KAZAN, CEO OF THE GLASS HOUSE GROUP, WHICH OWNS FOUR DISPENSARIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "As a company, I would say we've more than doubled our deliveries and the reason is because people now I think they are at home and they are looking for options.
Whether they are getting their groceries delivered from Whole Foods or the local market or cannabis." Kyle Kazan owns four dispensaries in Southern California and said he predicted the surge in delivery demand at the beginning of the health crisis.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) KYLE KAZAN, CEO OF THE GLASS HOUSE GROUP, WHICH OWNS FOUR DISPENSARIES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAYING: “I've lived in Los Angeles my entire life, I've never seen anything like this so right away we talked to the team, we said we better make this pivot because I'm making it in my personal life and all of us said that was the way to go.
So, we anticipated we were going to get more calls and we did.” Many customers say they rely on marijuana and cannabis-infused products for their health.
Los Angeles resident Patty Pappas says she uses it for stress and her husband to treat pain.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIJUANA DELIVERY CUSTOMER PATTY PAPPAS, SAYING: "Most of it is just to help relieve anxiety and sort of to take the place of a bottle of wine or a beer or something like that and then my husband has had major knee surgery a few months ago and he has some pain cream in here that he likes.” Twenty-seven year-old delivery driver Alex Brown says when you’re suck inside with a lot of Netflix, a little pot helps pass the time.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) MARIJUANA DELIVERY DRIVER, ALEX BROWN, 27-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: “People just don't really have too much to do so, you know, it is, you know, from a recreational standpoint, it can kind of make the day go by a bit quicker and a bit more interesting.” In California where pot is legal - some businesses are reporting a 50 percent spike in orders compared to last year.
Monday is April 20, a date pot aficionados term 4/20 and typically a time for large public celebrations of cannabis culture.
This year, most Californians will observe the date at home.
But those under lock down can still smoke up.