Cannabis users, shops suffer high anxiety after Massachusetts shuts down recreational sales

Shannon Venezia hasn’t had a seizure in four and a half years — a fact that she attributes to her decision to treat her epilepsy with cannabis instead of the prescriptions her doctor wrote, which she says would give her mood swings.

After recreational cannabis became available in Massachusetts in 2018, Venezia let her medical marijuana card lapse. With two young kids at home and a full-time job, she didn’t think going to a doctor’s office to be re-approved for the card and then waiting up to two months for it to be processed was worth the hassle.

But when Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the temporary closure of nonessential businesses, including recreational marijuana stores, last week in response to the coronavirus outbreak, she panicked and bought a two-week supply.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do” if the order stays in place, she said. “Am I going to have to go to the black market, or am I going to have to try and get my card renewed and potentially expose myself to people who are sick?” [Read more at NBC News]