Reefer Gladness: The Healing Power of Cannabis During the Covid Pandemic

If you’ve been wondering how everyone else has been handling this pandemic, chances are you’ve come across a lot of scary statistics. Alcoholism, hard drug abuse, suicide, anxiety and depression have skyrocketed. This pandemic has been very mentally strenuous for a lot of people. Jobs are being lost or limited, small businesses are closing, and the majority of Americans are on some type of unemployment program. One of the worst parts about all of this happening over a short period of time is the lack of friendship and family. It takes a big toll, mentally, on anyone who can’t physically be with loved ones and help each other through these times. Unless it’s through a 3 inch screen on our phones, it’s almost impossible and even frowned upon to be with our friends and family during the pandemic.

The good news is there is hope. There is hope in the form of a beautiful, green, sticky, smelly, incredibly friendly natural medicine for ALL of it: cannabis. When I say all of it, I mean it, literally and statistically, cannabis helps 100% of these issues. 

“According to the researchers on the study (Journal of Addictive Diseases), medical cannabis users with mental health conditions reported big increases in their cannabis use since Covid-19 began - increasing their use on average by 91%. The researchers were interested in learning about how these patients had changed their behavior around cannabis, and asked specifically about how their dose had changed. Interestingly, around half of the patients reported no change in their dose, while 38.4% reported an increase and only 8.8% reported a decrease.” (Forbes 2020)

Medical dispensaries have been labeled as essential businesses. Driving to a dispensary in itself can make someone feel “normal” again. Getting out of the house, seeing a friendly face at the dispensary, and knowing that you can purchase something that’s going to improve the quality of your life without becoming an addiction or damaging your health. 

Cannabis gives us hope, makes us smile, relieves pain, reduces anxiety and stress, helps us laugh again and enjoy the little things in life. Everyone has always played that game where you’re stranded on an island and you get to choose 3 things to bring with you. If you’re anything like me, a regular medical cannabis user, then cannabis is the first word out of your mouth after a lighter and a fishing pole.

Right now it’s America’s version of desert island: and we choose medical cannabis.