According to a Chicago Sun Times report, cannabis retailers selling medical marijuana can sell it outside of the dispensaries until the end of the month in Chicago.
The move is to help protect patients that may be susceptible to the virus.
“Our top priority is to minimize the risk of and protect as many people as possible from exposure to COVID-19,” said Toi Hutchinson, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s senor adviser for cannabis control.
“These steps prioritize that critical objective, while also ensuring medical patients have access to the medicine they need.”
According to new guidance from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IFDPR), dispensaries are allowed to sell medical cannabis products on their property, as well as on adjacent sidewalks or curbs until March 30th.
Recreational customers will have to continue shopping inside.
The IFDPR has also said that customers will have to be six feet apart by moving lines outside and the time workers stand near customers will be minimized. Employees should wear gloves while handling cash, frequently wash their hands and avoid asking patients to physically hand over their medical cards to be scanned.
So far at least eight Illinois dispensaries have shut down adult-use sales.
”We understand that not everyone with a medical need has a medical card, but until further notice we can only serve medical patients,” Dispensary 33 posted on its Twitter this week.
“We feel that we need to continue to provide access for everyone that relies on cannabis for their daily well being, whether they’re a card carrying patient or not,” said Cresco spokesman Jason Erkes. “But we’ll obviously follow whatever state guidelines and mandates are put in place.”
