New Study: COVID-19 Impact On Weed-Smoking Habits & Attitude Towards It-- Guest Post By Dwight K. Blake

-by Dwight K. Blake

The official number of coronavirus cases worldwide as of April 15, 2020, 10:46 GMT had just hit over 2 million (2,014,009). With the USA being the epicenter of COVID-19 cases (614,246), lives have changed.

AmericanMarijuana.org asked 1,017 U.S. cannabis consumers to share their experience on how COVID-19 has changed their weed-smoking habits as well as how their families and friends feel about the fact that they’re still smoking weed these days.

Do you think smoking weed will make you more susceptible to coronavirus?

Participants were asked if smoking weed will make them more susceptible to coronavirus. Out of 1017 survey takers, 144 revealed that they have lung problems, while the other 873 said they don’t.

Major Takeaways:

1- 54.35% of participants with lung problems agreed that smoking weed will make them more susceptible to coronavirus whereas only 34.47% of participants without lung problems think so.
2- 45.65% of participants with lung problems and 65.53% of participants without lung problems don’t think smoking weed will make them more susceptible to coronavirus.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, have you smoked more weed?

Major Takeaways:

1. It’s natural to see that 29.28% of the participants have smoked more weed since the COVID-19 outbreak due to the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, but it’s even more surprising to see 5.70% quit smoking weed.
2. While the majority (38.52%) of the 1017 U.S. weed smokers consumed the same amount even after the COVID-19 outbreak, only 26.50% had smoked less weed.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, have you switched to other marijuana consuming methods besides smoking? (e.g: eating edibles, consuming oils, etc.)

Major Takeaways:

Due to the fact that smoking could make you more susceptible to COVID-19, some would likely try or even switch to other marijuana consuming methods besides smoking/vaping. However, only 28.04% of them did so while the remaining 71.96% didn’t change.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, have you consumed any anxiety relief supplements? If YES, compared with weed, which is more effective to you in terms of therapeutic effects?

Major Takeaways:

1- It’s normal to be anxious enough to try out other relief supplements amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. However, 65.49% of the 1,017 participants are fine with weed and haven’t used any anxiety relief supplements.
2- 34.51% did use other anxiety relief supplements since the pandemic outbreak but only 24% of them felt weed is less effective while 76% felt weed is more effective.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, have you kept sharing joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens, etc.?

Major Takeaways:

1- The coronavirus can be spread through droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected individual to another by either inhaling the droplets or touching objects that were sneezed or coughed on. This is why 71.65% of the participants stopped sharing joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens, etc.
2- However, 28.35% of the participants decided to continue sharing joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens and similar items despite the risk of getting coronavirus.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, why do you still continue sharing joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens, etc.?

Major Takeaways:

1- Of the 288 participants that chose to share smoking/vaping devices even after the coronavirus outbreak, 29.89% don’t see why they should stop sharing them.
2- 32.07% of them just want to have some fun with their friends and relieve some stress while the remaining 38.04% just can’t get rid of the habit of sharing even though they’re aware of the risks of being infected with the coronavirus.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, why did you stop sharing joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens, etc.?

Major Takeaways:

1- Of the 729 participants that choose not to share joints, bongs, bowls, pipes, spliffs, vape pens, etc. after the coronavirus outbreak, 21.29% wanted to practice social distancing.
2- 15.70% of them wanted to lower the risk of getting infected with coronavirus via vaping/smoking devices while the remaining 63.01% did so for both purposes: to practice social distancing, and to lower the risk of getting infected with the coronavirus via weed sharing activities.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, are you worried about not being able to pay for your cannabis?

Major Takeaways:

1- Since many people are not making money anymore due to the lock-down policy, 36.67% of the 1017 participants are worried about not being able to pay for their cannabis.
2- 63.33% of the 1017 participants are not worried at all.

Compared to before the COVID-19 outbreak, how do your friends and family members react towards your weed smoking activities?

Major Takeaways:

1- Although 69.18% felt like nothing has changed at all, 4.01% of the 1,017 participants admitted that they were discriminated against for smoking weed during the pandemic.
2- Family and friends of 13.25% of the participant are against smoking weed during the pandemic whereas 13.56% had negative attitudes, but not seriously.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, do your stoner friends still share weed with you?

Major Takeaways:

1- Even though it’s risky, 34.82% of the participants still have stoner friends who have continued sharing weed with them since the coronavirus outbreak.
2- According to 65.18% of the 1,017 participants, since the outbreak, their weed buddies have stopped sharing weed with them to avoid spreading the virus.