Numerous signs pointed to the fact that cannabis use increased during the 2020 Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. Smoke shops and agencies reported a bump in sales across nearly every legal state, and several articles wrote at length about this general positive trend. 

Now, nearly a year later, those signs have been confirmed by a new report published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. The study shows cannabis sales in several key states — Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington — reached a record high in mid-2020. 

Methodology 

Headed by a team of health researchers from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, alongside academics from University of Washington’s Drug and Alcohol Institute, the study looked at pre-tax cannabis sales data from the four state agencies. 

The results proved that even as many other industries suffered as a result of the pandemic, cannabis only grew faster. 

As the study declares, “In all four states, those (2020) increases were greater than the percent increases observed in the preceding two years.”

The four states were chosen specifically for their well-established cannabis markets. The legal industries there have existed longer than anywhere else in the US, which made for more reliable data. Analyzing newer markets is far more difficult due to the inherent fluctuation caused by rapid growth. 

According to the authors, their work marked “[t]he first study in the academic literature to document changes in U.S. cannabis sales data during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Sources of Growth

The report cites three possible factors that may have contributed to the increased sales. The first suggests more total users were taking cannabis for reasons related to stress and anxiety. Covid-19 was a difficult period for millions of Americans, and cannabis was a source of relief for many of them. 

As the study states, “[i]ndividuals may have initiated or increased cannabis use to cope with stressors brought on by the pandemic.”

The second pointed out that illegal products may have been harder to acquire during the stay-at-home orders. This in turn led to more individuals shopping from legal sources out of necessity. 

Finally, the study acknowledges that the hike in demand may have led to a spike in cost for products. Specifically, more people may have been turning to premium options such as extracts or concentrates, which drive sales more than the affordable flower options. 

Other Factors 

In all four of these states, cannabis outlets remained open throughout most of the pandemic after being declared essential services. This also contributed to the consistent growth.

The study concluded by acknowledging that the data from these key regions may not represent growth in the rest of the US. And, while this study is a useful starting point, researchers need to continue to work to further understand these trends. 

However, every existing piece of evidence seems to show that cannabis sales in the rest of the country are in fact continuing to grow. The state of Illinois sold a record-setting $127 million in recreational cannabis just in the month of July. The previous high? Two months earlier in May of 2021.

In fact, as a whole, the country spent $12 billion on cannabis products in the first half of 2021.

When you add up all these sources, it seems clear that this cannabis trend isn’t going anywhere. For many, their record-setting months are still ahead of them. 

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