Why Cannabis Should be Included in COVID-19 Relief

Posted by Brian Sparks|May 23, 2020

Photo by Paul Wellman

While there is still great uncertainty over whether the cannabis industry will be included in any of the coronavirus relief bills and federal stimulus programs moving through Capitol Hill, one thing is near certain: Inclusion of cannabis would be a lifeline for many of the companies, including growers, who make up the industry.

A new national survey conducted by Leafly and the National Cannabis Roundtable has found that tens of thousands of jobs could be saved if Congress were to allow federal COVID-19 stimulus funds to flow through to state-legal companies. This is made even more notable by the fact that nearly one-third of cannabis companies surveyed said they could go out of business without the relief.

The survey of 484 cannabis retailers, growers, and processors, as well as hardware and service providers was conducted across all legal states between April 20 and May 5. Of those companies, 85% said they would be able to save jobs with access to stimulus money, and 30% said they will go out of business without access.

Read the full Leafly report here.