With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing for nearly nine months now, Colorado s marijuana industry has thrived with record-high sales throughout the year. But weed-adjacent retail businesses, considered non-essential by local and state government, haven t been as flush.
Smoke shops and CBD stores were among retail businesses that were deemed non-critical and forced to close during Colorado’s first stay-at-home phase in March. Marijuana dispensaries remained open during the most restrictive phase of pandemic closures, but both hemp-derived CBD retailers and head shops (many of which sell CBD and hemp products) were only allowed to reopen once the state moved into the Safer at Home phase in April. As the pandemic continues, these pot-adjacent operations have been forced to change their business models, which have brought mixed experiences and results.