Cannabis consumption is at an all-time high in the United States. With several states allowing cannabis dispensaries to serve as essential services, US citizens are consuming cannabis like never before.

However, a new survey has found out that as Americans practice social distancing and stay at home, more and more are turning to cannabis to ease the stress of the pandemic.

A new study by Oasis Intelligence and RedSky Strategy has revealed that parents are consuming cannabis doubly faster than adults who don’t have kids to look after during the lockdown.

What was the Study?

For the purpose of the study, Oasis surveyed 720 U.S. consumers between Mar. 30 and Apr. 16 to gain an insight into how the pandemic has affected the cannabis industry.

Patents were asked to respond on a variety of parameters such as assessment of their own mental and physical health, their weed shopping behaviours and average weed consumption.

The survey comprised of a representative population of the US, with samples consisting of an equal proportion of men and women between the ages18-65.

Here’s What The Survey’s’ Findings Revealed

The most startling finding of the survey has already been mentioned, which stated that a higher percentage of parents with kids at home (14%) have consumed marijuana in the past month than those that are staying without kids (8%). Amongst the parents, more mothers (16%) acknowledged their weed consumption at home as compared to dads at 11%. This means that twice as many mothers are using cannabis than adults without kids at home.

Surprisingly, the consumer group getting high the least is men who don’t have kids, at a meagre 7%. This is starkly different from trends observed previously, where pot usage amongst men was typically higher as compared to women.

Another interesting insight the survey threw up was a correlation between cannabis consumption and a positive outlook during the pandemic. 41% of parents consuming cannabis reported feelings of ‘hopefulness’, as compared to just 20% of parents who didn’t consume pot.

Why More and More Parents Are Consuming Cannabis

If you’re aware of the past studies done by Oasis, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see more and more parents get comfortable with pot consumption.

US citizens are adopting marijuana openly, resorting to it for not recreational activities. A 2019 Oasis Intelligence report showed how weed has become an essential part of their lives.

The study found out that as many as 85 % of adults use cannabis for medical and wellness reasons rather than just. More than half of the interviewees (56%) considered cannabis to be an important part of their lives.

Cannabis use amongst parents isn’t surprises since a majority of them don’t look at it as something that only provides recreation. A quarter of the users said that when it comes to cannabis, they don’t differentiate between its medical, wellness or recreational use.

Such insights are only bound to strengthen, as parents resort to cannabis as a solution for their everyday problems. Oasis revealed that 40% of users consumed cannabis as it relieved them of stress and anxiety, while weed was also used as a Sleep aid (30 per cent) and depression relief (28 per cent) by some.

What Oasis Had To Say On The Findings

Speaking to The Fresh Toast, Oasis co-founders Laura Albers and Ben Woo had the following to say about the survey findings.

“While millions of lives have been upended by the pandemic, changes in day-to-day life have been particularly dramatic for parents suddenly thrust into the role of both caregiver and educator while balancing work and other demands, and attempts to cope with this increased workload appear to be showing up in cannabis consumption rates.”

Both of them believe that the increased cannabis consumption amongst parents is here to stay, signalling a demographic and cultural shift in how the US perceives pot. “In truth, parents as a primary cannabis demographic was likely always on the rise, but the unique demands of the pandemic have accelerated their entry into the market.”