Just a decade or two ago, it was a pretty radical move for a regular cannabis user to come clean to their parents and family about their weed habit. In those years, stigma and nationwide prohibition typically conjured images of fridge-raiding, empty-minded stoner comedies at best, and dangerous criminal narcotic at worst. These days, you might be more likely to share a joint with grandma than getting scolded for smelling like a skunk. Times, they are certainly changing.
According to a new report from cannabis sales and news platform Weedmaps, “2021: Cannabis In America,” marijuana users are more open about their consumption than ever before, with social and professional stigmas around the plant quickly shedding. At the same time, Weedmaps’ survey-based report found that cannabis users are finding their place in the world of traditional consumer goods, with more weed smokers focused on branding and home delivery than ever before.
“I believe we are well on our way to a future where cannabis in America raises more capital and employment rates than it raises eyebrows,” Weedmaps CEO Chris Beals said in the intro to 2021: Cannabis in America report. “The information relayed in this report will allow us to further validate what we are seeing every day: as more is learned about cannabis, the stigma is fading and cannabis is becoming more embedded in our culture.”
When it comes to being open about the plant, 72% of Weedmaps survey respondents said that they were honest about their cannabis use and that everyone or almost everyone in their lives knew that they were regular marijuana users. With that openness apparently comes more frequent use as well, with 40% of respondents across demographics saying that they consumed cannabis daily and another 30% saying they smoke multiple times a week.
“Millennials are the most likely to use cannabis daily, and men and women have comparable levels of daily use,” the report details. “Frequent use influences how (and with whom) cannabis consumers share this experience. The majority (66%) say their preferred method of consumption is alone or with one or two other people. This preference is driven by younger boomers (83%) and men (69%). For many, this is a personal practice that has a lasting impact on how they live, work, and play.”
In addition to regular and honest consumption, cannabis users are quickly bringing their traditional consumer habits into the realm of weed, with more than half of Weedmaps survey respondents saying that they have a favorite cannabis brand and 48% noting that they only buy branded cannabis products. Half of responding cannabis users say that cannabis brands offer better quality products than their loose-leaf counterparts. Even just a few years ago that statistic would have been unthinkable.
As the world of legal weed and the consumption trends that come with it expand across the country, the ongoing pandemic has also had significant effects on the marijuana industry. In year-over-year comparisons, the Weedmaps report found that cannabis home delivery increased by 97% in 2021. The pandemic incited emergency regulations allowing for delivery in a number of legal weed states that did not previously offer door-to-door service, but the category also saw even bigger increases in delivery orders among younger, Gen Z cannabis users, suggesting that the trend could continue to grow even as pandemic precautions subside.
And while Gen Z is helping to drive cannabis delivery, it is Millennials who are pushing the market. Across every product category, from flower and edibles to concentrates and vapes, Millennials are making more than 50% of all purchases. Suffice to say, with Millennials and Gen Z coming into more spending power over the coming decades, the cannabis industry isn’t going anywhere.
“Whether it’s being classified as an essential business or becoming a helpful anxiety mediator, cannabis businesses will remain integral in a post-pandemic world,” the report’s authors say. “As the industry matures, cannabis is bound to experience what other products and trends went through in earlier generations. Events of this year may have been a catalyst, but we are already seeing a higher satisfaction and solidification in cannabis consumer behavior.”
That same solidification of consumer behavior is carrying over to social justice causes, with 46% of survey respondents saying that social equity is an important factor in where they shop for cannabis.
“The America of 2021 continues to be divided with widespread protests and growing awareness of socioeconomic disparities,” the report noted. “The cannabis industry has felt it too. As a result, some cannabis businesses and policy advocates are asking how the industry can help African Americans, Latinx, women, and others share in the decisions being made. This diversification of participation is not only inclusive and begins to repair the years of damage once inflicted on whole communities, but is also a business imperative. The more diverse an industry, the more choices the consumer has, and the more opportunities there are for workers, merchants, and investors. In the face of mounting pressure to legalize cannabis on the federal level, now may be the time to nurture this diversification before homogeny gets a foothold and choice dwindles.”
For more insights into the rapidly changing world of legal weed in America, check out the entire Weedmaps report here.
