Priority COVID-19 Vaccinations for Medical Marijuana Workers Draws Praise, Criticism in Pasadena

The California Department of Public Health clarified Thursday that medical marijuana workers are classified as medical workers and qualify for the highest priority level, Phase 1a, for vaccine distribution, drawing both praise and disapproval in Pasadena.

Cannabis industry workers involved in the medical marijuana industry are included in Phase 1b in the “Food and Agriculture” category, according to CDPH guidelines. The Phase 1b category also includes most teachers and law enforcement officers.

Director of Medical Cannabis Caregivers in Pasadena Liz McDuffie said while she is not rushing out to get vaccinated, she applauded the move.

“I think that that vaccine has to be made available to people,” she said. “And certainly, any of the grocery store workers or anyone who’s dealing with the public should have the right to get vaccinated.”

“It’s good that the people are stepping forward and they’re trying to do something. You have to do something. You can’t just ignore it,” McDuffie said. “If the vaccine, indeed, is going to give us all a herd immunity, everybody is benefited by the people that do take it.”

Pasadena city officials have said they plan to abide by the state’s guidelines.

But some, like Pasadena resident and activist Erika Foy, disagreed with the prioritization.

“In this case following the state directive is a bad idea,” she said in an email. “The optics of this when we have kids not going back to school at day 335 means we need to fight to prioritize teachers. We can choose not to partake in this especially after San Diego County did not.”

“I know we didn’t follow L.A. County with outdoor dining,” Foy said. “We need to stand up and make choices that are right for our community. Our city has the ability to set a better precedence in what’s happening in our state.”

“Why does our city continue to make these kinds of mistakes of following state directives that don’t make sense and are driven by lobbyists? Absolutely maddening. All reasonability has flown out the door.”

The state’s updated vaccination guidelines can be viewed online at cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/VaccineAllocationGuidelines.aspx.