US government is going all in for Covid 19 vaccine administration. The directives have been issued from the White House, and now it’s upon the states to chip in with their share of the contribution. To make the country’s ambitious goal of vaccinating 70% of the population by 4th June a reality, state governments are coming up with innovative measures. By bringing in an incentive-driven approach, states hope to bolster vaccine administration as soon as possible. As there is no time to waste, the folks in-charge have really put on their thinking cap, and the Washington state found their answer in a rather unconventional incentive. The Washington state officials recently announced a “Joints for Jabs” program. As per the program, 500 licensed marijuana retailers could begin hosting vaccine clinics and offer one pre-rolled marijuana cigarette for free to anyone above 21 years of age getting a vaccine shot there. Through this idea, the state has made an attempt at encouraging the youth to go ahead and get the Covid 19 vaccine right away. However, things haven’t panned out the way they intended them to. It must be noted while Washington legalized marijuana use in 2012; it still remains illegal under the federal law, therefore bringing a fair share of complications for the marijuana retailers in carrying out such an operation. Due to these complications, many retailers have backed out from participating. They have also pointed out other factors behind their withdrawal. Some don’t have the space to host a vaccine clinic, while the others are put off by the shorter timeline. The program is set to expire on 12th July, so they won’t even be able to offer a second shot to the individuals who might get their first around mid June.
Nevertheless, one big reason that became a deal breaker for many marijuana retailers was the stringent book of regulations that they must follow to move this vaccination drive forward. The dealers argued that this wasn’t the case for Breweries, wineries, and bars during the incentive programs where individuals were offered free pint of beer and other drinks for getting a jab.
While things are off to a rocky start, it remains to be seen if state officials are able to find any inroads over the next month to make them work.
