MJBizMag May-June 2021 - 60

WELLNESS OUTLOOK
TO SLEEP AND ANXIETY
RESPONDING
C
hronic pain continues to be the
No. 1 reason patients register for
medical marijuana cards. But
the COVID-19 pandemic and a major
recession forced many people to confront
a host of new health and wellness
challenges, which appears to have had an
impact on cannabis use.
In particular, anecdotal evidence and
a boom in cannabis sales over the past
year suggest many more Americans are
turning to the plant to deal with anxiety,
stress and sleep issues.
" For the general population, the three
main categories that you can break
almost every product down to would be
pain, anxiety and sleep. Those are the
ones we hear all the time, " said Wendy
Hull, CEO of Fairwinds, a cannabis
products manufacturer based in
Washington state.
" This past year has been very stressful
for a lot of people. And a lot of people
need these types of products, " Hull said.
For example, Fairwinds formulated
Release, a CBD product that comes in
tinctures and vapes, which Hull described
as Fairwinds' anti-anxiety brand.
Dr. Kyle Kingsley, CEO of Minneapolisbased
Vireo Health International, agrees
that a growing number of patients are
using cannabis because of sleep issues and
anxiety and that marijuana businesses
should respond accordingly.
" There is increased anxiety, increased
insomnia, " Kingsley said. " I think
cannabis is an interesting potential tool
for some people in the time of COVID. "
To that end, Vireo developed a sleep
aid and calming product last year called
Moonlight, a combination of THC, CBD
and CBN.
" It's really formulated to address this
need for people, " Kingsley said. " That's
really what we're looking to do, is bring
defined outcomes to people. "
Despite the substantial increase in
the number of Americans with sleep
and anxiety issues, many states don't
include insomnia as a qualifying medical
condition. In the past year, regulators in
60 Marijuana Business Magazine | May-June 2021
Edibles might help patients stay asleep, according to Garden Remedies owner Dr. Karen Munkacy.
Courtesy Photo
Dr. Karen
Munkacy
Pennsylvania and Hawaii both rejected
insomnia as a qualifying condition for
medical marijuana.
Qualifying conditions or not, patients
are likely to bring up sleep and anxiety
with budtenders, and cannabis business
owners who want to serve patients and
make a profit should be prepared.
For example, Dr. Karen Munkacy, an
anesthesiologist and owner of medical/
recreational marijuana retailer Garden
Remedies in Massachusetts, noted that
when consumers ask for a sleep aid,
budtenders frequently suggest indica
strains. That's a good start, Munkacy
said. But consumers should also be told
that the effects of smokable flower last
only a fraction as long as edibles.
" That means that, if you're someone
trying to sleep through the night, edibles
are going to be much more effective, "
Munkacy said.
- Omar Sacirbey

MJBizMag May-June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBizMag May-June 2021