Americans consume more cannabis than these popular foods

The proof for the cannabis industry was in 2020 revenue, but a new report from consumer data firm Brightfield shows that consumer behavior is exactly what the cannabis industry already knew: people were consuming more cannabis than before during the pandemic.

Gen Z makes up a large chunk of new consumers

One clear factor is stress and anxiety, and the Brightfield report confirms this. New recreational cannabis users accounted for 6% of all users in 2020, with 22% being Gen Z. If you thought Generation Z weren’t old enough to use cannabis, we did too (kidding), but a lot of them are now 21, which means legal access to cannabis if they live somewhere where it’s legal is.

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Consumers seeking relaxation, sleep, and emotional relief from cannabis

New recreational consumers saw the highest levels of use, particularly in the fourth quarter of 2020, with 22% of new consumers reporting having consumed cannabis several times a day. This decreased slightly in the first quarter of 2021, but nonetheless, new cannabis users are entering the market faster than before the pandemic. The three main desired effects of cannabis products are relaxation, sleep, and emotional relief. Over half, 54% of new recreational users, reported using cannabis for anxiety, while a whopping 74% of consumers sought cannabis for relaxation.

Women are re-using cannabis in droves

Also, 59% of new consumers are women, which further diversifies the cannabis market. In the first quarter of 2021, female users made up 51% of cannabis users. Female users increased steadily in 2020, and they tended to be younger and heavier than men, with 21% of female users reporting daily use. The Brightfield Report shows that women and men approach cannabis use differently, with women being more focused on the effects of cannabis and how it benefits their mental and physical health.

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Women use more types of products than men, especially gummy bears (48% of female consumers use gummy bears versus 34% of men), but women choose specific times to consume them.

RELATED: Women are overwhelmingly the main buyers of this cannabis product

According to the report, 80% of women use cannabis right before bed, 59% of women say before they do their homework, and 50% save cannabis use for dating their partner. This gender ratio varies depending on the federal state. In Michigan, 59% of cannabis users are women. In California the number drops to 43%.

How brands can benefit from the new demographics

All of this means good news for cannabis companies. The key is to get close to each other. The data shows us that 2020 brought a number of new and heavy users to the cannabis market, with the vast majority of those new users being women. The report goes on to say that women prefer products such as gums, topicals (17% of female consumers), vape cartridges (40% of female consumers), and flowers (57% of female consumers). Cannabis companies can take advantage of these new consumers and develop a branding strategy that appeals to them.

More Americans consume cannabis than plant-based meat

More Americans said they had used cannabis in the past three months than hard seltzer, soy milk, and plant-based meats. According to the Brightfield report, 10% of Americans said they had used cannabis in the past three months, with 13% of total users being millennials – the generation most likely to use cannabis. Hard seltzer, soy milk, and plant-based meat were used by 7%, 6% and 8% of Americans, respectively. However, Americans still consumed more granola bars and sports drinks than cannabis in 2020. The report shows that 13% of Americans have consumed granola bars and 15% of Americans have consumed sports drinks in the past three months.

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The central theses

What we can see from this report, and other consumer reports like this one, is that Americans have long been ready for cannabis legalization, especially after the stress of 2020.

RELATED: Whoa! New report shows so many Americans use cannabis

All types of people are entering the cannabis market, both as businesses and consumers. Therefore, brands that want to identify and understand their target audience will do well with American (and global) cannabis policy reforms over time.

Many consumers now believe that Joe Biden is the president, April 20th 2021 will be the last illegal 4/20. There is currently no federal cannabis legalization bill floating around, but many are pushing and hoping for it under the new blue government.

This article originally appeared in the Green Market Report and was republished with permission.