Cannabis Use Driven by Health and Wellness Concerns

A recent study suggests that, contrary to popular belief, Americans are using cannabis products for health reasons rather than solely for recreational use.
The most common concerns mentioned in the report include alleviation of stress and anxiety, improved sleep, and pain relief.
Several other studies over the past few years have been debunking the myth that cannabis users are demotivated and that legal cannabis causes a rise in crime.

Aches and pains were also very high on the list of reasons people use cannabis. Many respondents said they use cannabis products for pain relief including menstrual cramps and arthritis pain.

One of the most interesting and telling trends that was exposed by this poll is that a whopping 88% of cannabis consumers use. Curaleaf, one of the most favorably regarded distributors of cannabis products in the U.S. recently released the findings of a highly revealing survey.

The findings ultimately debunked an age-old myth that individuals who consume cannabis products are merely habitual users. Most interestingly, the poll strongly indicated that an overwhelming majority of adult consumers use the herb primarily for health and wellness reasons.

Two thousand individuals took part in the survey. Sixty-two percent of the participants resoundingly stated a preference for cannabis consumption over pharmaceuticals in the treatment of various medical issues.

Growing numbers of U.S. citizens are using marijuana products for the following reasons:

52% of respondents say they use cannabis to relax (52%)
49% said they use medical marijuana to improve sleep (49%)

44% say the herbal remedy in conjunction with, or as an alternative to pharmaceutical medications. The same individuals indicated a vast improvement in their overall well-being from cannabis consumption.

Additionally, another 86 percent of the poll participants said that they would recommend medical marijuana to their family members and their friends.

Medical professionals were also vocal in their support of medical marijuana and its multiple benefits while dispelling the stereotype of the stoned hippy.

Curaleaf’s Clinical Cannabis Pharmacist in New York publicly stated in a recent interview:

“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. There are a wide variety of ways to consume cannabis safely, and many formulations actually have minimal intoxicating effects. 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.”

Marijuana myths are falling like dominoes

Other recent studies have also been dispelling longstanding Reefer Madness myths such as the idea that people who smoke marijuana are demotivated and more prone to commit crimes.

One recent study out of the University of Memphis showed that subjects who frequently consumed cannabis were more likely than non-users to select tasks that required more extensive effort. The report reads in part:

“The results provide preliminary evidence suggesting that college students who use cannabis are more likely to expend effort to obtain a reward, even after controlling for the magnitude of the reward and the probability of reward receipt. Thus, these results do not support the ‘amotivational syndrome’ hypothesis.”

Another report published in 2109 in Frontiers in Public Health claimed that 80% of respondents use cannabis in conjunction with working out. Of those, 70% claimed cannabis increased the joy of exercising, 78% said it helps with recovery, and 52% said that it makes them feel more motivated.

A report published in the American Journal of Health Behavior in 2020 claimed that cannabis consumers tended to work out and engage in more physical activities than non-users. Then in 2021, San Francisco-based cannabis delivery platform Eaze reported that they’ve seen an increase in cannabis use during physical activities.

Studies Debunk The Myth

Moreover, scores of studies have disproved the myth that cannabis legalization causes a spike in crime rates. Several recent studies have shown a strong correlation between the legalization of marijuana and a reduction in both violent and property crime rates.

For example, the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization published a report in 2019 in which authors claimed that there was sufficient evidence to show that the legalization of cannabis is inducing a drop in crime rates.

Another multi-year study showed that there were no “statistically significant long-term effects of recreational cannabis laws or the initiation of retail sales on violent or property crime rates… legalization has not had major detrimental effects on public safety.”

Cannabis And Crime Rates 2022

As more and more U.S. states legalize both recreational and medical marijuana, and more money is spent on research related to marijuana use, historical stigmas around marijuana are dismantled one by one.

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