The Anxiety Economy
Products to stay calm during pandemic—and peaceful—times
A revised version of this story is available at The Quality Edit.
Feel like you’re going crazy yet? 2020 has been, to say the least, crazy. While the news cycle has long been a stress-inducing catalyst, this year has just been different. Anxiety and Depression Association of America found that over 30 percent of adults will experience some form of anxiety at some point in their life. And who knows what that number will be by the end of the year.
Thankfully, a range of new companies are finding ways to combat this crisis, incorporating ingredients growing in popularity like CBD and THC.
Sip it away
Recess, launched in October 2018, capitalizes on two emerging categories: sparkling beverages and CBD-infused consumables. The brands tagline “an antidote to modern times” is all the more relevant in 2020. Recess’s website explains more about how it hopes to help you, writing “hemp and adaptogens interact with our endocannabinoid system to help our body maintain equilibrium and homeostasis. we chose a specific group of adaptogens known for their ability to help manage stress and promote a feeling of calm and focus when you need it most. what you’re left with can only be described as a feeling: calm, cool, collected.” Founder Ben Witte told Yahoo Finance he believes that CBD will be the caffeine of the 21st century.
Weller also offers a similar beverage, and an additional array of snacks and drink mixes.
Instead of sticking with just CBD, Cann has created a “social tonic” that has 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD and other all-natural ingredients for flavors like “Lemon Lavender” and “Grapefruit Rosemary.” The company raised $5 million in January from investors including Imaginary and cannabis-focused JM10 Partners.
Smoke it away
It was only a matter of time. Marijuana culture has become mainstream, often being cited as better for you than alcohol, and several new brands are position as a “premium high.” Serra is a cannabis brand with flagship stores in Portland and Los Angeles, stockists all over Oregon, and a delivery service that takes out all the stress of leaving the home.
They offer an interesting selection of all-in-one vaporizers for uses that go along with their name, for example, they have a “Relaxation Vaporizer” and “Relief Vaporizer.”
Another weed startup leveraging the power of the direct-to-consumer model is Sunday Goods. The retailer grows all-natural cannabis in a greenhouse in Arizona and sells similar vaporizers in Arizona and California. The brand was designed by former design studio Gin Lane, who has also done work for numerous other DTC brands including Recess.
Sleep it away
One of the biggest health trends in recent years has been aromatherapy (using oils and natural plant extracts to promote health and well being). Clear the airways of toxic thoughts and fears with a toxin-free candle or oil diffuser. Otherland is leading the luxury charge with $36 items made in the U.S. The brand raised its first institutional money in a $2.7 million seed round led by Lerer Hippeau in October of last year.
vitruvi makes high-end stone diffusers and essential oils and was founded by “experts in natural scenting.” Several studies have shown that essential oils play a strong role in producing positive feelings of happiness and calmness.
In addition to aromatherapy, Casper (the “Nike of sleep”) partnered with CBD brand PLUS Products to expand its line of textile sleep products to gummy snacks for a better rest in September 2019. Although the gummies from the collaboration are no longer available, PLUS offers three flavors of high-dose candies to help get a better sleep.
The Anxiety Economy isn’t going anywhere, and with some of the biggest trends like CBD and marijuana attracting high volumes of investment, the amount of products helping cure anxiety is in no shortage. But, the better solution may just be to turn off the television.
