Two recent, separately published, surveys combine to create an interesting overview of how cannabis use changed during the pandemic — and the picture they paint is one of the need for serenity in a time of stress.
The first, a Veriheal survey found that 55 percent of patients who applied for a medical cannabis card over the past year said their main reason for using cannabis was “to feel happy,” while a Ganja Goddess poll found that 72.6 percent used cannabis to achieve better sleep, and 66.8 percent to ease anxiety. Ganja Goddess also found that 54.8 percent of respondents increased cannabis consumption since the pandemic’s onset, with around eight in ten saying they were now consuming daily.
The researchers behind the Veriheal survey — from the London School of Economics, University of Southern California, University of Maryland, and the Cultivating Research Education and Advocacy (CREA) Group — started out with the hypothesis that cannabis demand would increase with COVID-19 cases as people sought out physiological relief and ways to manage stress. But instead, they found that people were seeking psychological relief in response to exogenous shocks including COVID-19 and beyond.
“Periods of social unrest, such as the Black Lives Matter protests and 2020 elections, can be seen as spikes in medical cannabis interest within our datasets,” said CREA CEO and University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy graduate student, Mahi Haq, in a press release.
Meanwhile, the Ganja Goddess survey found that 60 percent of consumers would prefer to have their cannabis delivered post-pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, just s fifth of cannabis consumers said delivery was their preferred means of purchase.
Ganja Goddess CEO Zachary Pitts noted that the initial spike in cannabis delivery sales was noteworthy, but its continued prevalence more than one year later spoke volumes. “A rise in cannabis consumption and greater emphasis on managing health further highlight the impact of these challenging times,” he said in a statement.Another finding was that 8 percent of respondents now view edibles as their primary method of cannabis consumption, compared to 52.9 percent for flower.
Another finding was that 8 percent of respondents now view edibles as their primary method of cannabis consumption, compared to 52.9 percent for flower.
Sources: Ganjapreneur, PR Newswire
