(Photo by Add Weed via Unsplash)

A handful of jurisdictions around the Bay Area have said that marijuana dispensaries are considered “essential businesses” under the widespread shelter-in-place mandates enacted last week, but advocates are urging governments to ensure they continue to operate throughout the state and region.

Santa Cruz, Monterey, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties have all explicitly stated that cannabis dispensaries can continue to operate along with other vital service providers like grocery stores, pharmacies, auto mechanics and banks, among others.

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Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.