San Francisco rules cannabis dispensaries are 'essential businesses' that can stay open while most of the city abides by 'shelter in place' order

Katie Canales/Business Insider

• San Francisco has ruled that the city's many cannabis dispensaries can continue to operate during the citywide shutdown, the city's public health department announced Tuesday evening.
• The news comes a day after the city imposed new "shelter in place" rules requiring all "non-essential" businesses either operate remotely or close shop until April 7, to help contain the coronavirus outbreak.
• San Francisco residents began lining up in front of the dispensaries in the hours ahead of the shutdown, while dispensaries scrambled to find out whether they would be forced to close.
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San Francisco has ruled that the city's many cannabis dispensaries can continue to operate during the citywide shutdown, the city's public health department announced Tuesday evening.

"Cannabis is an essential medicine for many San Francisco residents. Dispensaries can continue to operate as essential businesses during this time, while practicing social distancing and other public health recommendations," the San Francisco Department of Public Health tweeted.

The news comes a day after the city's new "shelter in place" rules that required all non-essential businesses either operate remotely or close shop until April 7 to help contain the coronavirus outbreak, which at that time included cannabis dispensaries.

When the shutdown was initially announced Monday afternoon, San Francisco residents began flocking to their neighborhood dispensaries, while dispensaries scrambled to find out whether they would be forced to close.

Later that evening, some dispensaries sent out notices informing their customers that they would temporarily close because of the new rules. "We are staying open late tonight (10PM) in order to give our Members time to acquire their medicine," one dispensary informed customers.

The latest news would grant those dispensaries a reprieve.

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