A new survey has found 62% of Americans would choose cannabis over pharmaceuticals to treat medical issues and three-quarters would prefer holistic treatments.
In addition, around 91% of adults who’ve tried weed have done so for the purpose of health and wellness – believing it played an important roll in the improvement of their overall health and well-being.
According to the survey, of nearly 2,000 U.S adults aged 21 and older, the main factors behind why they’ve consumed cannabis include:
- To relax (52%)
- To help with sleep (49%)
- To reduce stress levels (44%)
- To reduce anxiety levels (41%)
The survey
The survey was conducted online by the Harris poll on behalf of Curaleaf Holdings, a large international vendor of cannabis-based products, in March 2022.
Among the 1,953 respondents, 1,095 had previously consumed cannabis in addition to or as an alternative to prescriptions drugs, with 91% feeling it had improved their overall well-being.
Curaleaf also reported that 86% of those who consumed cannabis for health and wellness purposes would recommend it to family members and friends.
Stacia Woodcock, a clinical pharmacist for Curaleaf New York, commented on the survey results:
“Educating consumers on how cannabis can be leveraged to support everyday health and wellness needs is critical to destigmatizing the plant and providing consumers with more choices to best fit their personal lifestyle.
“Different product options with various ratios of THC and CBD give patients the opportunity to consume cannabis in a way that works with their lifestyle and comfort level,” She added.
Is cannabis becoming more common for treating medical symptoms?
A survey of 2000 people was carried out during the height of C-19 in Canada. It found the increase in weed consumption at the time was to relax (73%), relieve boredom (65%), to relieve stress (53%), and to relieve anxiety (53%).
On the contrary, the survey found the main reasons for people decreasing the amount of cannabis they consume was to relax (18%), to help socialise with others (14%), and to reduce anxiety (13%).
Another poll, released by the University of Michigan, show three-quarters (73%) of parents would be open to exploring the possibilities of cannabis for their children if other medications aren’t helping.
The parents’ most common reasons for considering cannabinoids like CBD for their child were anxiety (51%), sleep problems (40%), ADHD, (33%), muscle pain (20%), autism (19%), and to make their child feel better in general (13%).
Summary
Common thoughts and beliefs surrounding cannabis consumption seem to be changing, with the compound becoming more readily available to treat medical conditions.
An increasing number of patients and consumers are turning to cannabis to help treat a wide array of conditions which include anxiety, stress, sleep issues, joint pain, along with many others.
What do you think? Will cannabis become a widely accepted remedy to help with medical issues?
