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Cannabis Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak – A Look At The Numbers

cannabis coronavirus
Written by Alexandra Hicks

During this coronavirus pandemic, we’ve witnessed some things that have been pretty consistent across the board.

Aside from characteristics about the disease, people’s mannerisms and actions are similar no matter where you’re looking. One of the most notable behaviors we’re seeing is stockpiling – people going out and stocking up on various items they deem essential. For this most, this covers things like non-perishable food, water, paper goods, first aid products, and more.

However, a growing percentage of people feel that cannabis fits in this category, and state governments agree. So, how many people stocked up on cannabis during the coronavirus outbreak? And why? What are they using if for? When it comes to cannabis and other essentials, what will they choose?

Our friends at American Marijuana conducted a survey of nearly 1000 cannabis users in the U.S. to find out the answer to these questions, and here’s what they discovered.

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49% of participants DID stock up on cannabis products

Now, we have an exact figure. Out of people who both, use cannabis and follow the news, 49% of people did stock up on their favorite products, which was mainly flowers. So, it’s quite evenly split between people who did stock up and those who didn’t.

Out of those who did stock up, 55% did so “to calm themselves during the coronavirus outbreak”. Twenty-three percent said they stocked up because they fear there is a cannabis shortage on the horizon. Meanwhile, the remaining 22% said they bought extra because they simply wanted some extra pot while they stay home on lockdown, which makes perfect sense to me.

Now regarding the 51% who did not stock up, when asked why, they stated it’s because they are generally not to worried about the future outcome of this situation.

34% of participants are consuming more cannabis than usual

This is to be expected since people are off work, at home with nothing to do. When bored, why not smoke and start an art project, or go for a walk, or just binge watch what TV shows. Whatever you choose, it’ll likely be more fun if you’re a bit stoned.

Cannabis Dispensaries Deemed “Essential” – Allowed To Stay Open While Other Businesses Are Forced To Close

Another reason that people are using more is because of heightened anxiety. People are scared; they don’t know what to expect and they’re worried about their health, their families, their financial well-being, and what the future holds. Although these are all very legit worries, it does no one any good to stress about them all day. For a lot of people, it can be hard to turn off the anxiety and mind chatter without cannabis.

Cannabinoids are proven to be effective in treating numerous mental health conditions. CBD (cannabidiol) and CBG (cannabigerol) are great for anxiety. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can be used for depression. Adding terpenes to the mix, as you would when smoking high-quality buds, can also be incredibly helpful.

5% of participants prefer cannabis over food

Although this is a very low percentage, it’s still a bit shocking that anyone would choose buds over food during a global pandemic, but hey, to each their own. Although, we’re not too sure about the longevity o­f this plan.

When it came to other products, cannabis fared even better. Twenty-eight percent of people would buy cannabis over facemasks, 15% choose buds over hand sanitizer, and a whopping 17% would buy cannabis instead of toilet paper. Let’s just hope they have some paper towels on-hand.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, cannabis is a very import part of daily life and overall wellbeing for many of us, and the coronavirus pandemic has certainly proven that. Dispensaries will continue to stay open, and people are using cannabis products to help get them through the stresses of today.

For more articles like this one, make sure to subscribe to the CBD Business Weekly Newsletter. We strive to keep you up to date on all things cannabis related, and we will also inform you on anything pertinent relating to coronavirus.

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1 Comment

  • Oh, I was waiting for this article, with just such statistics, and I really wanted to believe in it. With cannabis instead of food and water, this is of course “strong”, but I still think it’s funny enough. I will say so that it really calms, and in some cases also adds confidence and concentration (well, at least to me). I work with people and used to be very afraid to talk to them, but I overcame this thanks to cannabis oil. My doctor prescribed me and said that it would be better for me to be with him. Although I do not have any mental disorder.

About the author

Alexandra Hicks

Managing editor at Cannadelics and U.S based journalist, helping spread the word about the many benefits of using cannabis and psychedelics.