Marijuana’s big moment: Pot stores are now essential businesses. Will legal weed go mainstream?

DENVER — The marijuana industry  is embracing change.

Edible products and pre-rolled joints are out.  Vape concentrates  and loose “flower,” which can be packed into bongs or pipes or rolled into joints and provide more bang for the buck, are in. 

Stores are effectively closed. Instead, customers order online and pick up curbside, a major shift from when each buyer had to be personally verified by a licensed store worker. In California, stores have largely switched to an all-delivery model. 

The country’s burgeoning marijuana industry is working swiftly to adapt to its customers’ needs as the coronavirus outbreak wreaks havoc on the U.S. economy. With business owners unable to access federal bailouts because the drug remains illegally nationally and popular 4/20 events cancelled because of stay-at-home orders, sellers are pushing for new ways to reach customers and persuade lawmakers that legal weed has become a crucial industry for many Americans.