Parents - especially mothers - have significantly increased their cannabis use during coronavirus quarantine, according to a recent study by Oasis Intelligence in the United States.
During confinement the number of Americans who are smoking cannabis has hit record highs: one in three Americans acknowledges having tried cannabis in their lifetime, while 12.8% said they consumed it last month (in the midst of the pandemic), surpassing the average of 12.5% in 2019.
The Oasis Intelligence study reveals that having children is a determining factor when it comes to smoking cannabis. Among the 720 people surveyed by the company during the months of March and April, 16% of mothers and 11% fathers reported using cannabis, percentages well above the 7% of using adults without children.
Oasis conducted a survey among American families to learn about the impact that containment and stress caused by the pandemic is having on cannabis use.
"While millions of lives have been affected by the pandemic, day-to-day changes have been particularly dramatic for parents, who have suddenly had to assume roles as caregivers and educators, juggling work and other duties. This additional workload seems to have resulted in increased cannabis use", Oasis partners Laura Albers and Ben Woo suggest.
A previous Oasis study could explain this link between cannabis use and the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019 a survey found that 85% of adults who consume cannabis do so primarily for medical and wellbeing reasons, rather than as a recreational substance. Specifically, 40% said they smoked to reduce stress and anxiety; 30%, to sleep better; and 28%, to relieve depression.
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