Cannabis bloom is the most popular form of consumption in Colorado |

New Frontier Data reviewed Colorado sales data and found that among the wide variety of products available to consumers, the flower still ranks first.

A new analysis of Colorado’s cannabis sales data was unveiled Nov. 2nd by New Frontier Data. Using data from the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, the company found that cannabis flower sales grew exponentially between 2014 and 2020.

In terms of pounds of flowers sold to consumers over that seven year period, the state sold £ 148,000 in 2014 and gradually increased to £ 584,000 by 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 26 percent.

New Frontier Data defines an average size joint as a third of a gram of cannabis, and at that size, Colorado sold 201 million joints in 2014. By 2020, the state had sold about 795 million joints. In the seven years since Colorado passed recreational cannabis law, the state has sold over 3.4 billion joints.

“That flower sales have been increasing at such a pace for seven years since launch suggests that smoking flowers will remain a persistent preference for the foreseeable future,” wrote John Kagia, chief knowledge officer and author of New Frontier Data, in his analysis . “However, the dominance of flowers belies the seismic changes in consumer behavior and underscores the need for manufacturers and brands to understand the tide of evolving consumer preferences.”

Although Colorado has seen strong growth in flower sales, the individual breakdown of consumer preferences is in flux. New Frontier Data’s Cannabis Consumer Evolution Report 2021 finds that 57 percent of consumers use both floral and non-floral products, with only 19 percent saying they do not prefer flowers to other options.

Seventy percent of younger consumers (defined in the range 18 to 34 years of age) consumed both flower and non-flower products twice as often as older consumers (defined as people over 55 years of age), at 35 percent. In the age groups who only consume flowers, however, the older group was twice as frequent as the younger, at 40 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

It was found that those who consumed cannabis products less frequently only consumed flowers, while those who consumed frequently were more likely to consume a variety of cannabis products. In addition, in gender demographics, women were less likely to choose flowers compared to men. Medical cannabis patients have also reported that they did not use flowers to treat their ailments, as smoking puts them at increased risk to their health.

Black market sales also have an interesting impact on the popularity of flowers. New Frontier Data found that 33 percent of consumers who live in illegal markets are more likely to smoke exclusively flowers, while only 22 percent of those who live in regulated markets choose flowers. Twenty-eight percent of consumers who buy their cannabis products from physical retail stores or delivery services are more likely to purchase non-cannabis flower products, compared to only 13 percent who buy from “informal sources”.

The availability and promotion of new cannabis companies and products in Colorado has a thriving legal effect. “This dynamic reflects the power of the regulated market to bring consumers to new, alternative forms of product: not only is the legal market much more effective at innovating new forms of product than the illegal market, but also the retail experience that allows consumers to talk to knowledgeable budget tenders . “In terms of their needs and preferences, accelerates the introduction of value-added products in regulated markets,” wrote Kagia.

Cannabis flowers may be the most popular form of consumption, but New Frontier Data predicts that it will slowly decline in popularity in the coming years in favor of the growing variety of non-flower products. “The fragmentation of the product landscape is rapidly changing the flower-dominated market segment; Due to current trends, consumers who use flowers only are likely to be increasingly dominated by older, male, and less frequent consumers. “