People across the country are getting high without help from their friends while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.
Marijuana consumption hit record numbers in the United States in March as most states implemented stay-at-home orders and closed down nonessential businesses to combat the spread of the virus.
A survey of 2,500 consumers conducted by Cowen & Co. last month found that 33% of respondents had tried cannabis at some point in their lives, an all-time high, and that 12.8% had used marijuana within the past month compared to the 2019 average of 12.5%, according to Bloomberg.
Using data from the cannabis analytics firm Headset Inc., Cowen also noted that pot sales spiked in March as concerns over possible dispensary closures set in. The weekly sales growth for marijuana products peaked at 64% the week of March 16, the highest rate of increase since early 2019.
Sales dropped in the last two weeks of the month, however, which could be linked to “more pronounced deterioration in job security for past-month cannabis consumers relative to the general population.” According to the survey, the percentage of cannabis consumers working full time fell to 42.2% in March from February, a larger decline than the general population.
Despite fears of dispensary shutdowns, most states that allow sales of marijuana for recreational or medical purposes have deemed dispensaries “essential” businesses and have let them remain open during the pandemic.
“It shows that a lot of people think cannabis is just another consumer good, like beer or wine,” Liz Connors, director of analytics at Headset, told the New York Times.
