Cannabis Consumption And Purchase Patterns Change During COVID19 Pandemic
Toilet paper hasn’t been the only thing that Americans have been hoarding at the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.
Studies show that more people have been getting high than ever before, too.
A recent Cowen and Co. survey revealed that in March 2020, cannabis use was at an all-time high. This is around the same time that lockdown orders were mandated throughout the country. They surveyed 2,500 consumers, and 33% of them said that they had consumed cannabis at some point or another before. But within the last month, 12.8% of them said that they consumed cannabis, up .3% from the average of the previous year.
Cowen and Co. says that the cannabis sales saw a leveling off from prior to the pandemic, because of a “more pronounced deterioration in job security for past-month cannabis consumers relative to the general population.” Additionally, it points to the fact that there were less cannabis consumers who had full-time jobs during the pandemic, and more of them weren’t comfortable on spending for cannabis, which explains the drop in sales.
Meanwhile, Headset Analytics shared data that weekly cannabis sales saw a 64% jump on the week of March 16th. They also added that edible cannabis goods saw the biggest increase in purchases, with 27% more market share, while pre-rolled joint sales saw a drop.
Weed Smokers Opt For Alternative Products
Given that coronavirus is a respiratory condition, this has scared enough people from smoking cannabis. COVID-19 is known to attack the lungs and can result in severe pneumonia or other acute respiratory conditions that may be fatal especially to those with existing conditions or a weak respiratory system.
A survey by AmericanMarijuana.org revealed that 28% of cannabis smokers switched to edibles as well as other alternative methods of getting high. They polled 1,017 cannabis users in the United States for the survey.
They also asked respondents if they felt more vulnerable to the disease because they were smoking pot; the respondents without lung issues said that 65% do feel at risk, and 54% of those without existing lung problems also shared the same sentiments.
What was interesting was that many respondents said they found cannabis more effective in dealing with the anxiety brought on by the pandemic compared to other anti-anxiety treatments. Around 30% of the respondents said that they smoked more cannabis than usual at the start of the pandemic, but 5% said that they stopped smoking completely.
A previous survey also by AmericanMarijuana revealed that a majority of consumers hoarded cannabis during the pandemic, as this helped them cope with anxiety and stress. Meanwhile, the new survey revealed that 65% of the respondents decided to keep their weed habit because it was their only way to cope with stress.
There were also 34.5% of respondents who admitted to taking more supplements in conjunction with cannabis to help treat their anxiety. A significant majority of them also said that cannabis is still more effective than other treatments in mitigating anxiety.
Considering that more than 22 million Americans asked for their unemployment benefits as of late, AmericanMarijuana asked respondents if they worry about being able to pay for their pot. There were 63.3% who said that they weren’t concerned about being able to pay for their pot, but 36.67% voiced worry about being able to afford their medicine later on.
Should We Turn To Edibles?
While it remains to be seen if cannabis smoking can indeed put you at risk for the coronavirus, Dr. Albert Rizzo of the American Lung Association suggests that edibles may be the best alternative.
“The theory with COVID is that it attaches to the lining cells of our airway and destroys them,” he tells Refinery29. “This causes the body to fight the infection by sending inflammatory white cells and other chemicals to fight and slow down the infection. Which leads to excess fluid in the airways and – in some COVID-19 cases – that can make it so hard to breathe that people need to be put on ventilators.”
This is why he recommends switching up to edibles.
“So far, edibles don’t seem to do anything to the airways,” Dr. Rizzo explains. “They give you some of the same psychoactive effects as smoking, but they don’t put you at any increased risk if you get COVID-19. I would prefer all my patients use edibles instead of smoking.”
There you have it, straight from a doctor. As an added bonus, cannabis consumption as we all know, is a terrific all-natural remedy to the stress and anxiety that this pandemic has imposed on most of us.
However, Dr. Rizzo advises speaking to your physician if you believe you may have the virus despite only consuming edibles. “If cannabis is something that could have been an additive to an infection, a physician needs to know,” he says.
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