Consumers are increasingly turning to cannabis for mental health and productivity

by druginc

People are turning to cannabis more often for mental health and productivity

A new study from Eaze, a California-based cannabis company and marketplace, has identified a number of emerging trends and usage patterns among cannabis consumers during the pandemic.

The survey involved 1.100 Eaze customers and asked about the role that cannabis plays in their lives. Nearly half of respondents said they microdose before going to work and nearly 40 percent said they use cannabis to increase their productivity.

The study also found that more than any other reason or motivator for them, people use cannabis to treat their mental health.

In addition, 40 percent of respondents said they consumed cannabis while picking up a new skill or hobby and 64 percent said art and music were the two most popular activities these consumers integrated with cannabis.

Those findings are consistent with the results of a study commissioned by Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., a Massachusetts-based cannabis company, last December in 2020.

More consumer and survey cannabis research

Conducted by The Harris Poll and involving nearly 2.000 American adults, more than half of respondents said they used cannabis to reduce stress and anxiety, while 50 percent said they used cannabis to relax.

Closer to home, a study led by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and published earlier this year in the Journal of Addiction Medicine that Canadians increased their cannabis use during the first wave of the pandemic.

The survey consisted of three national surveys conducted between May and June 2020, with just over half of consumers reporting increased cannabis consumption during the pandemic. The study authors hypothesized that “social isolation, boredom, changes in daily routines and additional stress and fear for the future” were motivating factors.

“This study is an important contribution to our overall understanding of changes in substance use patterns for all drugs since the start of the pandemic”, said CAMH chief of addiction treatment Dr. Leslie Buckley.

“We already knew from our national survey series on mental health and pandemic substance use that there has also been a consistently high national rate of binge drinking since the start of the pandemic. The better we understand how COVID-19 is impacting substance use in Canada, the more effective our public policies can be at mitigating the harm associated with increased use.”said Dr. Buckley.

Sources including AdWeek (EN), health (EN), TheGrowthOp (EN)

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