I N T H E K N OW
THE
OUTBREAK
BREAK
DOWN
With travel bans, trade restrictions and
quarantine measures put in place, we examine
what COVID-19 means for CBD events and
business.
Words by Caroline Barry
On March 11, the World
Health Organization
(WHO) off icially declared
COVID-19 as a pandemic.
The annual global cost of a
pandemic could be £440 billion,
according to the World Bank.
Another pandemic, SARS, infected
8,000, causing $50 billion in
damages. Figures for COVID-19
could be higher given that we are
more heavily reliant on Chinese
imports than 17 years ago.
Now, transmission fears have
forced the postponement or
cancellation of cannabis events
around the globe.
The Swiss government has banned
gatherings of over 1000 people
and the Louvre closed its doors
citing Coronavirus fears. Expos
provide valuable networking for
22
the industry but with thousands
shaking hands and exchanging
cards, it’s easy for viral infections to
spread.
Steven Bell, CEO of Rasb Media
which is organising The CBD Show
explained the precautions it would
be putting in place.
“Although the risk of COVID-19 is
extremely low, we are taking the
following precautionary steps:
FevIR scanner, compulsory hand
sanitisers, yellow bins for tissue
disposal, disposable gloves for staff
or attendees and disinfectant for
surfaces.”
Further to this, The CBD Show
has updated its ‘Important
Information and Travel Advice’
on its site to include that “Those
who are travelling f rom high risk
areas should not travel and will
unfortunately not be allowed entry
or tickets to our event.” However,
visitors to the site are not asked
to clarify their recent travel
movements.
Rose Wu f rom Shenzhen Deep
Union Technology, a China-based
cannabis vaporizer company,
said they are working with event
companies.
“In order to protect our staff, we
are negotiating with expos to
exchange our credit for future
events in the second half of 2020.
“In Guangdong Province, where
most cannabis enterprises are
located, businesses are now
restarting their operations.”
CBD exhibitors taking part in the
Vegan Life Live expo at Alexandra
Palace in London have been asked
to sign a ‘self-declaration’ that they
do not knowingly have Coronavirus
nor have they travelled to an
affected country.
“We require all clients operating
events at Alexandra Palace to