As America is almost a month into the beginning of the indefinite quarantines, many have questions and concerns regarding how patients and those who are dependent on medicine will receive their medication with so many working sectors being affected by the pandemic. With millions across this country prescribed at least one form of medication, this is a wide place concern in these uncertain times. In some extreme cases, safe and efficient access to these medications could be a matter of life and death.
It’s all the more challenging and potentially dangerous when the medicine that a patient is prescribed, is as heavily regulated and mostly prohibited as a cannabis-based medicine. Texas technically legalized the medical prescription of low THC oil for the most limited list of conditions out of any state’s “medical cannabis” program through the Texas Compassionate Use Act. But access to this quality CBD oil and the fact that the number of TCUP-licensed dispensaries remain in the single digits, have resulted in already present issues about the efficiency and availability of access.
In the midst of a global pandemic, Texas Cannabis Collective wanted to check in with one of those very limited TCUP-licensed cannabis suppliers to see how they’re faring and rapidly adapting in the times of such confusion and anxiety. We wanted to find out how they’re ensuring that patients are still receiving their medicine.
CEO of South Austin-based Compassionate Cultivation Morris Denton spoke with the Collective about how operations have both been altered yet remained consistent and safe throughout these troubling times.
“Our operations have been significantly impacted across the board, from every department and function across the company.” said Denton. “We’ve made significant adjustments to measures that we’re taking to keep patients and staff safe and limit exposure. We have gone through every compartment of our business and have made significant adjustments as a reflection of the coronavirus.”
And to the surprise of those who have experienced the general misfortune of dealing with a regulatory body, the Department of Public Safety has been actually understanding of the current struggles of TCUP-licensed businesses. According to Denton, they haven’t implemented any unfair, unnecessary regulations that are nearly impossible to comply with during this trying period.
“The state has been great.” Denton informed. “They’ve been as open as they always are and responsive to input from us and have made a couple of adjustments to the regulations on a temporary basis to allow for flexibility and how we need to operate given these times.”
Most importantly however, Denton assures that the COVID 19 global pandemic hasn’t changed or negatively effected Compassionate Cultivation’s mission and commitment to provide their medicine to their patients.
“We remain fully operational and haven’t had any impact or hesitation on our ability to get medicine into our patients’ hands. And our commitment has been and always will be to put our patients first. So there’s been no impact on serving our patients.”
Not too surprisingly however, the numbers of drivers and delivery routes have increased tremendously for Compassionate Cultivation. As a good number of their patients are immuno-compromised to begin with and have implemented strict personal quarantine measures, this has become the much preferable option for receiving medicine.
Although contrary to what some cannabis advocates and writers are predicting, Denton doesn’t necessarily believe that the increased socio-economic burdens of COVID 19 will directly result in any cannabis reforms. Denton views the subject in the same light that many advocates should begin viewing this subject under; that view being that the repercussions of COVID 19 and cannabis legalization won’t correlate perfectly or even purposefully.
Denton admits that he personally can’t foresee how this pandemic will affect cannabis’ current path on decriminalization and legalization. Until then however, Denton promises that his hard-working team at Compassionate Cultivation will continue to put the safety of their patients first in every delivery and operation.