The demand for medical cannabis sharply increased in 2020. Our case study determined whether there was any correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and demand for cannabis through medical recommendations. Preliminary data was assessed utilizing patient information provided by Veriheal, a virtual medical cannabis recommendation platform with a database containing survey assessments of ≥ 125,000 patients. We merged Veriheal’s patient sign-up count and appointment dates with the official CDC COVID-19 case data tracker.
Following this, comparisons were drawn between the amount of cannabis interest (sign-ups) and adoption (appointments) by virtue of Veriheal’s data in 2020 alongside with key spikes in COVID-19 cases provided by the CDC’s data tracker. Sign-ups and appointments were analyzed based on state, city, age group, gender, and condition/reason for cannabis use. Although cannabis has traditionally been recommended for pain relief, the data suggests that the increased interest in cannabis during 2020 was instead correlated with mental stress. Further analysis suggests that interest in cannabis sharply increased throughout the months associated with mass societal distress in the U.S. (eg., BLM protests & pre-elections) compared to months with no drastic societal shock events.
In the data, participants selected “Happy/Bliss” as reasons over “Relief/Pain-Free” for medical cannabis use, contrary to the original hypothesis which theorized participants would utilize medical cannabis for pain relief and support. “Happy/Bliss” grew in prevalence by 46% in 2020 compared to previous years. Although data from 2019 demonstrated that cannabis was commonly sought out and utilized for physical pain relief, findings suggest that medical cannabis purchases and consumption have increased following the collective societal shock events in 2020.
Based on the patient assessments, the data suggests that people suffered from a depressive episode or had anxiety during the pandemic. We further extrapolate that America went through times of unrest beyond the pandemic, which influenced the amount of sign-ups and appointments through Veriheal. Exogenous shocks in addition to the pandemic like protests, riots, and elections caused major worries and uncertainty for the nation, therefore, medical cannabis is being sought out as a tool for mental health and a means to achieve happiness.

How has COVID-19 impacted the demand for medical cannabis?

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