BDS Analytics, A U.S.-based company which claims to “drive the cannabis sector to thrive with well-informed decisions based on factual data,” recently released a survey in which they claim people who take cannabis are “more successful and content” in life than those who don’t.
The new study debunks previous misconceptions about cannabis users being lazy and unmotivated, and in fact, claims the opposite to be true.
The survey, which is being touted as, “the most comprehensive and detailed look at cannabis consumers ever conducted,” found that from the group tested, “cannabis consumers have an overall healthier well-being when compared to those who abstain.”
A number of aspects were covered in the study, including mental, social, and financial aspects of people living in California and Colorado, where the test subjects came from.
In the study, subjects were split into three groups:
- Consumers (people who consume cannabis)
- Acceptors (people who do not consume cannabis but might consider it)
- Rejecters (people who do not consume cannabis and would not consider it)
The survey found a number of interesting things. Firstly, the average income for consumers in California is $93,800, compared with just $73,900 for the rejecters who were surveyed.
Even more striking is the statistic that at least 20 percent of consumers in California hold master’s degrees, compared with only 12 percent among rejectors.
36 percent of consumers defined themselves as “very social people” while that number dropped to 28 percent for rejectors.
Linda Gilbert, head of consumer research at BDS Analytics, said, “Cannabis consumers are far removed from the caricatures historically used to describe them. In fact, positive lifestyle indicators like volunteering, socializing, satisfaction with life and enjoyment of exercise and the outdoors are highest among cannabis consumers, at least in Colorado and California.”
The survey also found that five out of ten Colorado consumers claim they are more satisfied with life today than they were a year ago, compared to about four in 10 among acceptors and rejecters.
While a wide range of consumer profiles and behaviors were revealed through the research, it must be noted that the findings are by no means scientific in nature, and fall more neatly into the consumer experience category on a socially-based level.
It remains to be see what future research will bring to the table in terms of understanding the effects of medical cannabis on the lives of patients. This study is a great start, and a step in the right direction.
[Image credit- Pixabay]
