Increased use of Cannabis during the lockdown
While most of the world is still in lockdown, cannabis sales have increased around the globe. People are not only stocking up toilet paper but weed as well. It seems when human beings have more free time cannabis is a popular method of relaxation. For most, it’s a way to get their minds off the crisis.
Multiple surveys in the U.S have shown that sales have peaked at an all-time high. According to Bloomberg, sales of recreational cannabis in California were up 159% in March compared to the previous year. Even though in some states recreational cannabis is not considered essential like milk and bread, some other states claim it is. In most cases, cannabis businesses must limit themselves to takeout or delivery just like restaurants.
Main reasons for increased cannabis use
Now that we know that the demand for cannabis has increased, it might be interesting to look into the main reasons why people use more cannabis. A survey done by Trimbos-Institute shows that boredom (78%) is the main reason people use more cannabis, followed by stress/anxiety (40%). Another factor for increased cannabis use was loneliness (28%).
The results are not too surprising, the survey shows clearly that boredom and stress are the major reasons for increased cannabis use. Even though smoking weed is not the worst thing you can do during a lockdown, some cannabis users exercise less, which should not be neglected. Cannabis use and a healthy lifestyle can go hand in hand, but we’ll come back to that later.
Lockdown in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, the overall use of Marijuana also increased during the lockdown. The Dutch lockdown began in March 2020, since then the densely populated country has been in the grip of the virus. When the Dutch government announced the lockdown, they initially closed down all of the coffeeshops. Just like in the U.S there was a great concern among cannabis users. The fear of not being able to get access to marijuana forced some of the Dutch cannabis users to stock up on weed. This resulted in long queues for the coffeeshops the day before closing.
However, this didn’t last for long because the coffeeshops opened after a few days. The main reason for opening the coffeeshops back up was that the majors of the cities insisted the Dutch Parlement open them. The majors were concerned that closed coffeeshops would result in a major increase of street dealers and criminals. This could result in an increase in crime, and marijuana users could get exposed to other harmful drugs. To maintain public health and keep crime levels down, the government decided to open the coffeeshops for takeout only.
Coffeeshops in Amsterdam
The coffeeshops in Amsterdam were no exemption on the rule. They could only sell over the counter but were not allowed to let people smoke inside. Of course with almost no tourists in the city, most of the customers are Dutch natives. Nonetheless, it’s a strange sight and feeling for the coffee shops in the city to be empty. Especially when you realize that Amsterdam attracts over 19 million tourists yearly, while a great portion of them being recreational marijuana users from all over the world.
Looking for Hunter’s coffeeshop in Amsterdam? Just make sure to check out Hunter’s new opening hours!
How to combine a healthy lifestyle with cannabis use
We all know that 2020 has started as a bumpy ride, but let’s forget the lockdown for a while. Even to this date cannabis use has a relatively unappealing stigma, which we believe is just wrong. Cannabis users are human as every other person, so it can get tricky to maintain a healthy lifestyle (especially during a lockdown). For that reason, we have some tips to stay in great health while enjoying cannabis.
- Vaporize your weed
If you’re not already then you should really consider this tip. While smoking weed is not as harmful as tobacco, burning any substance and inhaling it is simply not that healthy. When you vaporize your weed only the cannabinoids get vaporized, this way you don’t get any harmful substances in your system.
- Eat healthy
While this seems like a no-brainer, during a lockdown a healthy diet can be hard to maintain. When being home all the time, it can be tempting to grab an unhealthy snack. But our body is our temple and we should always take care of it. A healthy diet contributes to a healthy Immun system, that’s exactly what we need these days. Eating healthy and nutritious not only contributes to a great immune system but keeps your energy level stable and high, this also helps you to maintain a healthy weight with the right fat percentage. So whenever you plan to use cannabis, make sure you prep healthy snacks and/or meals. And remember when you don’t have any unhealthy snacks at home you can’t eat them!
- Exercise
During the lockdown, most gyms are closed. But don’t let this withhold you from working out because the internet is overloaded with home-workout tutorials. Being at home more often can create more time to do quick, daily workouts. This way you can stay in great shape during the lockdown.
- Get the right amount of sleep
Sleeping too little or too much, are both not favorable for our biology. The data on this is very clear, we should get the right amount of sleep. Per night every person should sleep between 7 to 8 hours, depending on your personal physiology. Neglecting the right amount of sleep can result in harmful and negative effects.
Sources:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-08/pot-use-reached-all-time-high-in-march-amid-lockdown-measures
https://www.trimbos.nl/kennis/corona/drugs-en-corona/cannabis-en-corona
https://www.ggztotaal.nl/nw-29166-7-3783119/nieuws/cannabisgebruik_lijkt_toe_te_nemen_als_gevolg_van_corona.html
https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1832817228/trimbos-deel-wietgebruikers-blowt-meer-door-coronacrisis
https://www.dw.com/en/cannabis-in-high-demand-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/a-53336180
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/03/coronavirus-crisis-could-increase-users-drug-habits-report
https://dailyhive.com/grow/cannabis-popular-indoor-sports-lockdown-survey
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52849794?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story
