Are pot and guns essential in a pandemic?

What’s happening:

In the dictionary, the word essential has a simple definition. Merriam-Webster defines essential as an adjective meaning “of the utmost importance.”

The coronavirus outbreak is proving that, in practice, deciding what’s essential is much more complicated. States and cities across America have mandated that all nonessential businesses close to help stem the spread of the virus. The bulk of the exceptions to these restrictions are clearly of “utmost importance”: hospitals, pharmacies, grocery stores, etc. The lists vary from place to place, with some surprising businesses being allowed to...