Imagine you are walking home from the last day of school before spring break. You plop on your bed, kick off your shoes and take a sigh of relief. No school for a week. At least that is what Tatiana Tipton and the class of 2020 thought.
Not only did COVID-19 unleash a virus that affected the entire globe, but the growing pandemic also triggered an epidemic of anxiety and depression among America’s Generation Z and millennial populations. And many people turned to cannabis, as opposed to prescribed medication, to calm their minds.
In 2021, cannabis sales increased to $30 billion, 40% higher than the previous year. The United States is expected to make up 75% of global cannabis sales in 2026.
“I believe that cannabis has been more effective in fighting my anxiety and depression,” Tatiana Tipton said. Tipton is a third-year computer science major at the University of Florida, who began her freshman semester in the middle of the pandemic in August 2020.
“I am diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, depression, insomnia and obsessive-compulsive disorder,” Tipton said. “After the pandemic hit, I discussed getting my medical card with my psychiatrist.”
Anxiety can have a positive correlation with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as the two share symptoms.
With the prevalence of anxiety and depression seeing a 25% increase following the coronavirus pandemic, more young adults are searching to find methods of treatment.
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