Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week look at cannabis consumption and politics, a deep dive into the munchies, cannabis as a sleep aid for veterans and more. Enjoy.
And lest we forget, a happy 420 to those who observe.
Cannabis Consumption and Politics
If the Trump administration hoped its policies would curtail cannabis consumption, those hopes may be going up in smoke.
According to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by the cannabis company Royal Queen Seeds, 50 percent of marijuana consumers anticipate the new administration will lead them to use cannabis more frequently. That includes 59 percent of young female adult consumers aged 21-34.
That’s the word from Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment. Jaeger writes that the findings of this new Harris Poll are in alignment with the findings of another recent survey that showed cannabis consumers self-reporting higher levels of stress since Trump was inaugurated, compared to the overall population.
In that survey, conducted by a company called Censuswide, respondents voiced concerns about ongoing uncertainties around cannabis rescheduling, industry banking access and the confirmation of certain cabinet officials who’ve been hostile to marijuana reform.
Jaeger reported that when respondents to the Censuswide poll were asked how much their “stress levels increased or decreased since the new presidential administration took office in the US,” 65 percent of frequent marijuana consumers and 64 percent of regular users said their stress has increased either significantly or somewhat.
Jaeger noted that those findings are about 10 percentage points higher than the overall American population, 54 percent of which reported increased stress over the past two months.
Another key finding of the Harris poll is that about one in three cannabis consumers (32 percent) expressed interest in growing their own plants.
Said Shai Ramsahai, president of Royal Queen Seeds, “We’re seeing a groundswell of support for home cultivation across demographics, driven not just by cost, but by trust. People want to know what they’re putting in their bodies. For many, growing cannabis is about wellness, empowerment and transparency.”
The Harris poll, which involved interviews with 2,011 adults 21 and older, including 782 self-reported cannabis consumers, also found that 15 percent of those queried already do grow their own plants. That’s a four percentage point increase from 2024. And 76 percent said they believe home cultivation would save them money.
As always, Kyle Jaeger does a first-rate job of bringing clarity to a complicated story. To learn much more we urge you to read his article in the April 10, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Cannabis Corner
Cannabis consumers love their snacks— and some are actually trying harder to choose healthy options. Those are two key takeaways from a new survey conducted by CBD Oracle, a cannabis consumer research company.
According to a story by Lee Johnson, which was published on the CBD Oracle website, the survey asked a nationally representative sample of 1,000 cannabis users about their experiences with “the munchies.”
The survey found 63 percent of U.S. adult cannabis users said they “always” or “sometimes” try to choose healthier snacks, with one in four (24.1 percent) pointing to fruits, salads, and smoothies as their snacks of choice. That figure rose to 71 percent among daily users.
On the down side, 53 percent said getting the munchies makes it harder to meet their weight and nutrition goals and 43 percent felt guilty after a cannabis-fuelled snack binge.
Timing is also important, with 3 in 4 cannabis users reporting that the munchies hit between 5 pm and 2 am, with most people’s cravings peaking after 9 pm. Only one in a hundred (1 percent) “wake, bake, and munch” in the morning (6 am to 12 pm).
Other key revelations include the following:
• Over a third (38.4 percent) of users said that smoked cannabis flower gives them the strongest munchies while 28.1 percent said edibles make the munchies hit the hardest.
• Nearly half of respondents (47.1 percent) said they “regularly” or “occasionally” plan their cannabis use around food, either pairing weed with meals or pre-prepping snacks.
According to Johnson, the survey also revealed some regional differences:
• In the Northeast, crunchy and fast foods are more popular than savory, and people prefer fruits, salads, and fresh foods to home-cooked meals while they’re high.
• In the Midwest, fast food is more popular than crunchy food, and again, people prefer fresh food to home-cooking.
• Crunchy also ranks behind fast food for stoners in the South.
Another revelation is that snacking isn’t cheap, with a third of cannabis users (33.6 percent) saying they spend between $11 and $20 on munchies per session. Slightly fewer (29.3 percent) limit their spending to $6 to $10. One in ten (10.3 percent) confessed they go all in, spending between $20 and $40 per session. The bottom line is that daily cannabis consumers may spend as much as $70 a week or more on snacks.
If you are looking for lurid details—what some might call food porn—Johnson reported that the survey has those as well, with pickles being the most frequently mentioned “weird” food craved by cannabis consumers—and they showed up in some truly memorable pairings, such as pickles with cream cheese, peanut butter, or ice cream or fried pickles, chocolate-covered pickles, and pickle cereal.
We can’t say enough good things about Lee Johnson’s masterful and entertaining job of navigating a very complex set of survey findings. To learn more about what folks crave when they consume cannabis and how they feel about what they eat, we strongly urge you to read his article on the CBD Oracle website. Just click on the link that follows.
https://cbdoracle.com/news/munchies-survey/
The Shape of Things to Come
Drink ’em if you got ’em. A group of THC-infused beverage brands is recruiting up to 2,000 qualified participants who will receive a free supply of cannabis-infused beverages as part of an observational research study of cannabis-infused drinks, alcohol consumption, mood and quality of life.
So says Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Adlin, participants would be expected to record their alcohol and cannabis-infused drinking patterns on a daily basis as well as complete self-assessments about their overall quality of life.
The study, described in a press release as, “the world’s first functional beverage study aimed at “explor[ing] THC beverages as a wellness alternative to alcohol,” is being conducted by MoreBetter, a data-collection and research firm. It’s sponsored by what’s described as a group of “multiple leading beverage brands,” who, as a group, are supplying participants with free infused beverage products to use throughout the course of the study.
Said Tyler Dautrich, MoreBetter’s chief operating officer, “By collecting consumer-reported outcomes from thousands of consumers, over a multi-week basis, we provide brands and industry advocates with the Real World Data they need to understand how infused beverages are impacting consumers’ quality of life.”
Adlin notes that the focus of the research is THC-infused seltzer. However, MoreBetter will also “investigate 750ml bottles used as mixers, dry powder mixes, and 1.5-2 oz ‘shots’ in an effort to study how various doses and form factors impact consumer’s perceived experiences.”
Added Evan Eneman, CEO and co-founder of Iconic Tonics, one of the sponsors of the study, “As more consumers explore mindful options, real-world data like this will be essential in understanding how THC-infused beverages are enhancing quality of life and transforming social rituals. Our partnership with MoreBetter isn’t just about validating our brands—it’s about leading a cultural shift with integrity, innovation, and style.”
To learn more, we suggest reading the excellent reporting by Ban Adlin in the April 11, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Veterans, Cannabis and Sleep
There may be hopeful news for military veterans who have trouble sleeping. A new study suggests using cannabis may help.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers affiliated with the Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, explored the premise that military veterans face heightened vulnerability to sleep disturbances due to factors such as irregular sleep schedules, combat-related stress, and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Moreover, these sleep disturbances are often exacerbated by substance use, since many veterans try to self-medicate, often with alcohol and cannabis, to address stress and sleep issues.
To better understand the dynamics of substance abuse, self medication and sleep issues among veterans, the research team used daily diary data collected over three months from 74 veterans with elevated PTSD symptoms and what was described as problematic cannabis use.
The first aim of the study was to test the relationship between sleep quality, alcohol use and stress. The second aim of the study was to explore associations of sleep quality, cannabis use and stress.
The researchers found that worse sleep quality was associated with higher perceived stress the next day, which in turn predicted greater alcohol consumption. Additionally, stress mediated the relationship between poor sleep quality and increased alcohol use.
When it comes to cannabis, researchers found that higher cannabis use was associated with lower stress and better sleep quality that same night.
The findings of the study were published in the June 2025 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. To read an abstract of the study, click on the link that follows.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871625001140
Cannabis and Skin Care
A new study suggests an ointment containing CBD and the “minor” cannabinoid CBG may be effective in the treatment of eczema. Eczema is said to be the most common, chronic, and relapsing non-contagious inflammatory skin condition.
The study, which was published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, treated nine adult patients diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (AD)—commonly referred to as eczema—with an ointment that contained 30 percent CBD, 5 percent CBG, hemp seed oil and cholesterol.
According to Ben Adlin, who covered the story for Marijuana Moment, the patients were instructed to “apply a generous layer of the ointment to the same site (the forearms) once daily before sleep and to cover the area with a wet wrap dressing to enhance its effectiveness and protect bedsheets.
Wrote the researchers in their journal article, “In the course of the therapy, patients adhering to the topical cannabinoid regimen achieved satisfactory skin parameters, including normal hydration and sebum levels, as well as improved TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and erythema, as opposed to patients who reported failure to comply with the regimen owing to the fatty texture of the formulation, despite the instructions they received.”
Added the authors, a team of five researchers from the Medical University of Silesia in Poland and De Montfort University of Leicester in the U.K., “The results we achieved included improved skin hydration, sebum level, and TEWL [water loss] as well as reduced erythema [redness] in the studied areas (forearms).”
If you care to learn more, we suggest reading Ben Adlin’s article in the April 3, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/an-ointment-with-the-marijuana-components-cbd-and-cbg-can-effectively-treat-symptoms-of-eczema-study-shows/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
