Cannabis Consumption Up Amidst Pandemic

In light of mandatory lockdowns put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears fun-seekers are changing up their consumption habits. According to a new study, the dormant club scene in New York City is shifting to Zoom meetings and bud. 

The survey, published in the journal Substance Use & Abuse, involved 128 people in the electronic dance music (EDM) partygoers in the Big Apple. It revealed that people are using less so-called “party drugs” but are consuming more cannabis. 

Of the respondents, 78.6 percent stated they were using less cocaine since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdowns; 71.1 percent reported using less ecstasy (MDMA), and 68 percent said they were taking less LSD. 

Despite the downturn in club drug consumption, 35 percent of those surveyed stated their marijuana use had increased. This is in tune with other surveys conducted regarding substance use during pandemic times.

Domestic cannabis sales began to skyrocket at the beginning of the pandemic and have remained steady. Global demand for the plant has surged. 

BDSA’s market forecast released in September found that global cannabis sales for the year were estimated to have reached $19.7 billion – an increase of 38 percent over the previous year’s sales of $14.8 billion.

“While the 2020 forecast is down less than 1 percent from the forecast released earlier this year, cannabis sales YTD have swung wildly in different states as a result of COVID-19,” said Roy Bingham, the Co-founder of BDSA, in an interview with the Daily Mail.

With a new era of legalization looming in the distance, these trends are likely to continue. The global cannabis market is projected to reach nearly $100 billion by 2026, the tip of the proverbial iceberg for an industry with quite literally sky-high potential.