Over 154 people participated in our cannabis and COVID-19 survey. Here are the results.
Participants were split into four groups. Those who use cannabis recreationally, medicinally, for both reasons or not at all.
While most participants 47.4% say they only use cannabis recreationally. Almost half of participants (46.8%) say they have been using dagga medicinally and recreationally. While 4.5% (7) of participants say they only use cannabis for medicinal purposes. Two of the participants or 1.5% say they have not used cannabis at all.
None of the participants have tested positive for COVID-19 at the time they took part in the survey.
We asked participants if they have experienced any of the common symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Not to our surprise more than half of participants (58.6%) say they experienced headaches. Followed by coughing (42.9%) and a sore throat (20%). The most common side effects of smoking strong or badly cured weed. Due to dryness and thirsties caused by good herb.
A small group of less than 13% experienced other symptoms related to COVID-19.
Most participants say they do not know of any cannabis user who tested positive for COVID-19. However, 2.4% say yes, but they didn’t show any symptoms while 1.3% say the cannabis user(s) they know with COVID-19 did show symptoms.
Where are the participants from?
147 South African
2 Spain
1 United Kingdom
1 United States
1 France
1 Ireland
1 Solomon Islands
We asked participants if cannabis helped them during the lockdown. This is what they had to say:
- My mental health has remained intact. My thoughts could go places while my body was safe at home, sipping on some rooibos
- Yes definitely
- Yes
- Yes
- Very negatively but cannabis helped a lot.
- Yes
- Yes
- I enjoyed this lockdown so much peace and silence
- Yes certainly
- Yes definitely
- Yes keeps me from going mad and prevents domestic abuse (in other houses, not mine no abuse here)
- Yes it did
- Well I came back from china then all of this happened just after and then just before lockdown I went to visit fam and since then I haven’t been able to get any ???
- Fully
- Cannabis has been an enormous help. Don’t know how I would have coped without it. Alcohol was banned and I do enjoy a cold beer.
- Yes. The outdoor season ended at the start of lockdown. The harvest helped me to stay productive, focused and positive. The product helps with recreational relaxation and the medical benefits assist in staying physical and mentally healthy and strong which is of great benefit during these difficult times.
- Absolutely
- Definitely helped me with all my medical issues in this time of chaos in South Africa. The ban on tobacco would have caused an even bigger issue, but luckily for our medication, we can still cope.
- Yes most certainly
- Oh yes as mentioned above I do it recreationally and medical
- Yes. keeps me kalm
- Definitely helped
- Yes, it did till I ran out of stock 🙁
- Yes, but I ran out and is now really suffering
- Yes
- Cannabis really was a good partner and friend
- Yes!!!
- Access to some services and yes I smoke a joint every day just to stay sane and safe
- Yes
- Definitely
- yES
- Yes definitely cannabis has helped me cope throughout this outbreak
- Yes, it helps me distress and to boost my immune system.
- Cannabis is a great time saver and helps pass time during self-isolation
- Yes it has a lot
- Harvesting and trimming entire lockdown.
- I only use cannabis ointment that’s all I had to make my own mixture
- Cannabis training program stopped
- Helps with depression
- Yes, it has. Relaxing me and thinking rationally about things
- No travel and no tobacco for mix ??
- It made me and my husband more relaxed, and not stressing over being locked up.
- YES, IT HELPED A LOT???????even people are starting to come out oh must they use ganja and I gave advice where I could…especially clinics and older people. .
- yes
- yes yes
- Definitely yes!
- Yes, it kept me relaxed.
- indeed it did help…a lot!!!
- yes it helped
- Yes cause one gets so high you forget you in lockdown
- Yes it has, I acquired a few skills and tricks?
- Yes it helped me smile
- Financially and mentally, and yes cannabis has saved my life.
- Largely unaffected.
- Yes it definitely has helped
- big time, cannabis has helped me pass time by literally forgetting the daily time, date etc it has also helped with an additional income from sales of my homegrown
- Cannabis helped keep me sane
- Yes big Yes…..Cannabis = Calm mind and a Calm mind = positive vibes
- Yes
- Loss of income. Stuck in another province. Cannabis definitely helped me cope. I wouldn’t have been okay otherwise ?
- Yes. Helped me relieve so stress and worry less
- Yes
- Yes its helps a lot
- Definitely I needed it
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Definitely
- Heavens Yes Cannabis is a gift from God it helps people.
- Most definitely
- Yes
- Yes, it has. Tremendously.
- I am a small scale farmer and its a tough time for one as the is no business by this time but with my wisdom weed, I manage to cope.
- Most definitely
- Definitely
- By supplying me with medical weed and rizla.
- YES!
- I haven’t had access to any cannabis during lockdown.
- Yes
- My cannabis supply could not be restocked during the lockdown. So I don’t know if it helped
- I’m very isolated, and I do think that cannabis helped me keep my mental health from deteriorating.
- most definitely. recreationally
- I don’t have weed I need
- Yes, it definitely made rough edges smooth. Keeps your mind off of the lockdown. Time passes faster
- Yes, it did with recreational use it helped a lot with anxiety in this time
- Not being able to see my girlfriend. Weed helps me sleep.
- It definitely helped, I was without a steady job and had a pay cut, a cannabis shop employed me and got me back on my feet.
- Cannabis really helped me cope
- Yes, cannabis helped me cope in various ways. A few examples of how cannabis has helped: It has helped me deal with anxiety and fear during Co-vid Lockdown. It has also helped me with physical ailments/ pain. Cannabis has helped me cope with feelings of depression and negative feelings. Cannabis has helped improve my mood, outlook on life and helped me to maintain a positive attitude.
- Yes, cannabis helped in many ways. Eg. Coping with depression and anxiety; Helped me to maintain a positive attitude; Helped me with physical ailments and pain.
- Oh yes tremendously, it helps me calmly assess any situation at hand.
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes it definitely helps
- Yeah, I grew my own bush before lockdown and it just happened to save me during this time 🙂
- In terms of helping anxiety and instilling a general level of acceptance for the things that have been happening
- Helped me a lot and made everything better
- Yes absolutely! saves me from going crazy when I can do nothing.
- Yes
- It helps me all the time especially during this time
- Yess
- Cannabis kept me sane
- Yes but lockdown did put a strain on the supply
- Helps me cope with the stress my g
- By use of tinctures and infused oils that I take orally, I no longer use paracetamol and other pain meds for my backache and it helps keep. Migraines away
- Have been forced to stay home and not earn a living….cannabis makes this idiocy more bearable
- Definitely
- Yes it did, makes staying home fun
- Yes a lot
- If I never had cannabis I would have totally gone mad. I grow my own crop so that kept me busy because it fell in my harvest period.
- Lower-income. Yes it helped with all the stress and anxiety of the pandemic
- Yes it helped
- Cannabis helped calm my stress about the COVID 19 situation.
- Yes very much so
- Definitely. Time to contemplate many things, sure
- Yes, canna yes cannabis help me during this lockdown I have my own personal trees monstrous monster big trees that that was ready to be harvested during this whole lot done. From day one to right now I am still busy with my weed locked up in my room trimming my buds just trimming trimming trimming
- yes
- It most definitely helped!
- For sure
- For sure. I make my own tincture and vaping oil.
- Cannabis is part of my lifestyle and has definitely helped my fiance and I deal with lockdown.
- Not a user
- NO, I DIDN’T USE IT.
- Staying relaxed
- Helped me to not look at the world so negatively which is hard during this time but it definitely gave me a more positive perspective
- I don’t use cannabis but going to start growing soon as a project
- Yes without it, I would have not coped.
- If I didn’t have my own homegrown I may have killed someone as it has replaced my tobacco with the restrictions.
- Yes, a lot. Great anti-depressant
- Definitely
- Absolutely
- never felt better, perfect way to stop feeling tried like cigarettes do.
- I would be going insane without cannabis during this time, it should be legal along with mushrooms to allow further research and the breakdown of incorrect beliefs and stereotypes
- Yes, it helped me stay calm.
- Yes, cannabis definitely helped me during this lockdown.