Can marijuana offer life-changing benefits? Karisa Nashana Sikora thinks so.

The coronavirus has affected people in different ways, but one of the most common afflictions is a lack of focus and drive. From completing work on time to finishing up an episode of TV, a lot of people are reporting having trouble reigning in their brains.

Every year, cannabis enthusiasts and advocates celebrate the cannabis plant and legalization movement on April 20th.

The tradition was born several decades ago when a group of individuals frequently met in secret to consume cannabis at 4:20 PM, and the number ‘420’ later became a numerical representation of the cannabis movement. 

That led to April 20th being declared an ‘official’ cannabis holiday by cannabis enthusiasts all over the globe.

April 20th celebrations were relatively low tech in years past, but that all changed this year.

Cannabis reviewer Brad Martin is a self-described “numbers guy.”  

Canadian investment bank CIBC Capital Markets slashed its 2020 forecast for marijuana sales in the country by nearly $1 billion as the market continues to be mired in uncertainty.

According to the bank’s updated estimate, recreational cannabis sales are expected at CAD$2.5 billion this year, down from the previously projected CAD$3.4 billion as the slow rollout of new retailers coupled with the coronavirus pandemic are causing serious trouble for the industry.

In a note to clients, CIBC Capital Markets analyst John Zamporo claims that growth in the 2020 legal cannabis market rested on the assumption new stores would open across several Canadian provinces, resulting in a strong boost for pot companies. 

For some people, especially introverts, stay-at-home orders aren’t all that bad.

Although perhaps not OK to admit it in polite conversation, some time alone is doing wonders for many people. This is especially true for those who live in states where officials have deemed marijuana dispensaries essential.

Green Horizons, a consumer insights firm for the cannabis space, released a detailed 42-page report exploring the “attitudes, usage, and market potential for cannabis and cannabis products.” 

The study revealed that many of the stereotypes commonly associated with cannabis users are not as true as society once believed. The firm followed 1,100 U.S. adults over the age of 18, with an oversample of cannabis users to match their true proportion in the population. 

According to the report, cannabis users typically make as much money as non-users, with $59.7k representing users and $57.5k for non-users. This demolishes the myth that cannabis users are automatically lazy, with no drive or motivation to be successful. 

New Brunswick residents didn't just head home at the start of the province's state of emergency last month. They also swung by provincial liquor and cannabis outlets to stock up.

Fourth-quarter financial results released jointly for NB Liquor and Cannabis NB on Tuesday show revenue bumps that each agency said was caused by a COVID-19-generated buying spree by customers — especially for beer, wine and spirits.

"It is estimated that the impact of COVID-19 on sales during the last two weeks of the quarter was an increase of approximately 12 percent," reported NB Liquor in a release explaining its results.  

The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing back a possible rebound in the beleaguered Canadian cannabis market, analysts say. 

Hopes were high at the beginning of the year that the launch of infused cannabis edibles, extracts and topicals, as well as dozens of new stores in Ontario, the country's biggest consumer market, would help boost sales following a lacklustre start to legalization. 

But no one expected a global pandemic to throw a wrench in the industry's plans.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, including the ways in which we handle marijuana.