COVID-19 led to an increase in cannabis use to treat anxiety

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A review shows that more people are consuming cannabis to fight COVID-19-induced anxiety

Stress is one of the conditions for which cannabis appears to be most widely used today. According to one study, this has been especially true since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has become clear that in this time of health crisis, many people have experienced a great deal of stress, so cannabis has been essential in managing their mental health needs.

Although some previous reports have shown that the pandemic has caused cannabis use to increase, the researchers in this new study sought to understand more fully the specific therapeutic changes once COVID-19 began two years ago. Using data from surveys of regular users in the first year of the pandemic, the study reported a significant increase in the frequency at which people began using the plant after the pandemic was declared.

The researchers indicated that the results “are likely driven by an increase in the prevalence of daily cannabis use to treat anxiety.” Before the pandemic, use was estimated at 18.5% based on anxiety treatment, but after the official declaration, that figure has risen to more than 25%. It appears that women represent the majority of the population using marijuana to treat anxiety.

“The findings of this study suggest that a small portion of past-year medical cannabis users relied on cannabis to manage ongoing or emerging mental health needs during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic,” researchers say.

Both this and other studies agree that women have been shown to experience higher mental health problems compared to the male population. Pandemic-related stress is due to people suffering from anxiety about contracting the virus or loneliness, resulting in very high-stress levels. Cannabis, due to its calming and relaxing effects, has become a perfect ally for many people to leave those worries in the past.