The cannabis industry has had a lot of reputation building to do especially because it has been associated with the negativity surrounding the drug war across the world. Over time, as people have become more accustomed to it due to legalisation especially for medicinal purposes, the stigma around it has begun to fade away. With the covid-19 pandemic looming and still ongoing, many people have resorted to cannabis. It is reported that 42 percent of adults 21 years and over started or increased consumption since the beginning of the pandemic as a stress and anxiety reliever. What was seen during 2020 is only continuing pace with 2021.
The cannabis industry is continuously pushing the envelope in developments from users to inventions and ways of application. More and more people are considering cannabis and consuming it including athletes. Some of these trends to watch out for that spilled over from 2020 into 2021 are shared in this article.
More ways to consume
The first thought when you think of consumption of cannabis is usually a joint. It has been exhausted as a method of consumption in the movies and almost anywhere you have heard of people consuming the herb. Over time, with the help of technology and innovativeness, more ways to consume cannabis have come up and are becoming more popular by the day. If you are not determined on which way works best for you, then you can experiment with some of the methods and try different tools and devices. There is plenty of choice in online headshops like Grasscity, and this includes dry herb vaporisers, dab rigs, tinctures and edibles. Edibles and tinctures are a great option for non-smokers and take away much of the stigma associated with smoking. Vaporisers are one of the more popular types of consumption methods after joints. They come in the form of desktop and portable vaporisers. The more popular are the portable category considering they are easy to carry on the go, take away the pungent smell of cannabis and produce vapor which is less harmful than smoke from joints. Dab rigs offer a more potent smoking experience for the user and rich flavour though caution should be taken considering their name as the “crack of pot”. Each consumption option has different benefits and potency it offers to the user.
Cannabis tourism
Who would have imagined that there would be a specific section of tourism dedicated to cannabis? Cannabis tourism is based mostly on tourists who visit countries with less stringent or legalised recreational cannabis laws. On these trips, tourists get to enjoy cannabis in places where it’s legal while combining their trips where they visit cannabis festivals, facilities, dispensaries and farms. Some places popular for this kind of tourism include Amsterdam, Colorado and Canada.
Legalization on the upswing
With more and more discoveries of the benefits of marijuana especially medically, there is a positive upswing in its legalisation across the globe. This is especially in Latin America and Europe. The EU has recommenced frozen CBD Novel Food marketing authorisation applications. Notably, Portugal and Spain are becoming major suppliers of cannabis globally. Additionally, Mexico is continuing its legalisation efforts for the herb. Due to increased consumption during the pandemic as a relief for stress and anxiety pushing demand further, there is a growing need for countries to legalise cannabis in order to benefit from it through tax revenues and business opportunity.
Solventless extract
New advancements have been a major boost in the shift back in favour of solventless extracts. Heat extraction methods such as rosin have drawn attention and appeal for these extracts in legal markets which has brought on new products. There are several options of solventless extracts where trichomes are extracted mechanically from the buds/leaves and then collected separately including charas, rosin, water hash, budder and freeze dried hash oil products. Rosen, the more popular one has opened the door for many other products.
Solventless products offer benefits including stronger effects than dried buds and are much easier to carry and trade than weed. This makes them a much better investment and bang for buck for cannabis users.
Conclusion
The cannabis industry offers benefits both to its users and governments where it is legalised. With continuing legalisation, popularity of solventless extract, more consumption options and cannabis tourism that caters specifically to cannabis enthusiasts, the herb will continue to rise in consumption. With rising consumption, much of its bad reputation held in the past by most may see a change towards a more positive outlook.