REUTERS: U.S. cannabis sales hit record levels over the Thanksgiving weekend, prompting industry predictions the combination of COVID-19 anxiety and a trend towards legalisation has triggered a permanent uplift in demand.
By keeping people at home, limiting their entertainment options and adding to stress, the pandemic has helped to drive demand for cannabis for much of the year.Four in 10 users increased their overall consumption and more than half said they turned to cannabis to improve mental health, an advance copy of a report by research firm New Frontier Data, which is to be published next week, showed.
Opposition persists, however, with some groups saying it causes addiction and that not enough research has been carried out to prove medical benefits. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' has promised to change that and decriminalising weed is part of the Democrats' platform.