COVID-19’s impact is felt everywhere and cannabis is no different to this change. In the beginning, the nationwide lockdown had kept us safe from exposure to some extent. But now, we are on with our lives while the virus continues to take over people. In such times, the only one way to ensure your safety is to be cautious. 

Before using cannabis, you may have already been introduced to the different ways to stay safe. But since the pandemic hit the world, the safety measures needed an upgrade to match with the new reality. So if health is your priority, read along to learn about the redefined ways for using cannabis safely during the pandemic.

Practice Social Distancing While Using Cannabis

I’m sure you must have heard a lot about social distancing during the past six months. That’s because it is one of your many defenses against COVID-19. Keep at least six feet distance from everyone irrespective of whether they show symptoms or not. Because you can never keep track of who came in contact with who and what. 

Continuing with social distancing, it’s essential that you maintain your distance while using cannabis too. Avoid any kind of social activity until there is a vaccine and the situation settles. This means that you have to let go of any cannabis etiquettes that involve interaction with other people. 

For starters, no more ‘puff, puff and pass’. It is a big no for everyone. A shared joint can become the biggest source of infection. If there is even one person in your circle who has an infection, all the people who shared the joint will become infected. Same is the case with shared stash. Germs from the hands of an infected person can also make you sick. 

The best way to stay safe is to avoid sharing at all costs. Let everyone get their own stash, joint or vape pen and consume it at a distance from one another. Or better yet, make the sessions digital. It’s a safe way to consume cannabis while keeping in touch with everyone. 

Maintain Proper Hygiene

Hygiene is the biggest enemy of SARS-CoV-2. This is why a 20 second hand wash is the most important way to avoid any exposure to the virus. Even before you roll a joint, prepare a bong or begin your cannabis session, wash your hands properly. 

In addition to keeping your hands clean, you must also keep your cannabis gear in a hygienic condition. If you are a medical patient, you probably use your cannabis gear regularly. It is always in contact with your mouth and hands which leaves a lot of room for germs and bacteria to build up. In the present scenario, if you do not wash your hand, you can easily get sick by transferring the virus from your hands to the rig and into your system.

And if not the coronavirus, a regularly used smoking apparatus is unhygienic enough to make you sick with some other disease. 

Take some time out from your daily routine and deep clean all your washable cannabis accessories with a proper cleaning agent. Whether it is your bong setup, bubbler or a grinder, leave no exceptions. 

Maintain hygiene even in the way you store cannabis. Keep it in an airtight container with no humidity to avoid any growth of mold or loss of potency. Make sure that all your stash and cannabis accessories are out of reach of others who can potentially contaminate it. 

Give Smokeless Methods a Try

Going by the data and observational studies conducted by different health departments, smoking increases the chances of hospitalization and severity of COVID-19 symptoms. This is why even the top cannabis doctors advise against smoking medical marijuana. The smoke stresses out the lungs and makes them weak to fight any infection. And considering that there isn’t a vaccine for COVID-19 yet, infection in the already strained lungs can be bad news. Though not everyone can consider shifting from smoking as a viable option, but for those who can, smokeless options could be a great idea. 

The most common preference after smoking are edibles. The huge variety of edibles will be able to suit any preference. If you want fast onsets like joints and vapes, try sublingual strips or tinctures. They take less time to kick in and deliver potent effects similar to edibles. These methods are comparatively safer than smoking as they do not involve any combustion or inhaling of smoke. 

Prefer Home Deliveries

Since we’ve been talking about maintaining distance from everyone, why not follow the same approach when buying cannabis? Since the lockdown, the government had allowed home deliveries of cannabis to maintain minimal social interaction between people and avoid overcrowding in dispensaries. Many state dispensaries are delivering cannabis at home even today. You can visit the website of the dispensary you wanna buy cannabis from and go through their catalog. Choose your preference and place your order. A delivery executive will get your order and place it outside your door to avoid any contact. Sounds convenient right? 

In the present times, remember to be careful while handling the cannabis deliveries. As soon as your order is delivered, sanitize the package carefully using proper cleaning agents. Avoid using home methods like vinegar or lemon as they don’t work against the virus. Once clean, wash your hands and store your stash properly.

Use Telemedicine

Keeping along the lines of social distancing, using telemedicine is another safety measure that medical patients should keep in mind. If you wish to use cannabis for your treatment, get your medical card without leaving your home. Using telemedicine, you can apply for a medical card in your state in less than 10 minutes. You can get in touch with board certified cannabis doctors and complete your 420 evaluation for a medical card. If you qualify, you will receive your medical marijuana recommendation or card on your email. You can use it for a purchase as soon as it arrives.

In fact, you can also renew MMJ card using telemedicine. Just apply for a renewal and the renewal will be complete within minutes. Just make sure that while using telemedicine, you must take the time to find a clinic that you can trust. Check out their privacy policies and doctor’s license. Move forward with your application only if you can verify everything. 

Conclusion

If you are using cannabis for medical reasons, you need to be extra careful with everything. Because of the already compromised immune system, your body is more prone to display severe symptoms if infected with COVID-19. So for the sake of your health and that of others, make sure to incorporate all the points that we have discussed above. 

Along with maintaining safety with cannabis, follow a healthy diet, exercise and keep your immune system strong. Getting sick with anything at this moment is risky. So keep you mental and physical health intact while living in this pandemic.