Ultimate list of cannabis industry statistics and data

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As we slow our pace towards banking reform, interstate commerce, and state legalization of cannabis, it’s a perfect time to take a look at the history of cannabis and how far the legal industry has come. In 2023, the legal cannabis industry has grown to multi-billion dollar annual sales and has created hundreds of thousands of jobs across the United States.

Thousands of companies have started operations in the cannabis industry, providing products and services to the cannabis industry. Additionally, existing non-cannabis companies have expanded and expanded their offerings to serve the cannabis industry.

The bottom line is that the cannabis industry has had a far-reaching impact in the United States and around the world. Let’s take a look at more than 50 cannabis industry statistics and data points to put some of these impacts into perspective.

Cannabis and the World Economy

How has cannabis legalization impacted the global economy? Here is the data:

• Global cannabis market revenue is expected to reach $51.28 billion in 2023. [Source: Statista – Cannabis Worldwide]
• Global cannabis sales are forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.77% between 2023 and 2027. [Source: Statista – Cannabis Worldwide]
• By 2027, global sales in the cannabis market are projected to reach $92.1 billion. [Source: Statista – Cannabis Worldwide]
• Global cannabis sales per person will be $77.03 in 2023. [Source: Statista – Cannabis Worldwide]
• The five countries with the highest cannabis consumption in 2023 are: 1) USA, 2) Canada, 3) Netherlands, 4) Germany and 5) Thailand. [Source: Statista – Cannabis Worldwide]

Cannabis and the US Economy (Including Jobs)

The following statistics explain how the cannabis industry is affecting the US economy:

• US cannabis market revenue is expected to reach $33.88 billion in 2023. [Source: Statista Cannabis United States]
• US cannabis revenue is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.43% between 2023 and 2027. [Source: Statista Cannabis United States]
• US cannabis market revenue is expected to reach $60.14 billion by 2027. [Source: Statista Cannabis United States]
• Cannabis sales per person in the United States will be $460 in 2023. [Source: Statista Cannabis United States]
• For every $10 spent by consumers and patients at legal cannabis retail outlets and dispensaries, another $18 is pumped into the US economy, and most of that money goes local. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• 417,493 full-time jobs will be supported by the legal US cannabis industry as of early 2023. [Source: Vangst Jobs Report 2023]
• In the US, 31% of cannabis jobs are in cultivation, 23% in retail, 20% in auxiliary and indirect jobs, 17% in manufacturing, 7% in wholesale, 2% in distribution, and less than 1% % on laboratory tests. [Source: Vangst Jobs Report 2023]
• California has more than twice as many cannabis industry jobs (83,593) as Michigan (35,405), the state with the second highest number of cannabis industry jobs. [Source: Vangst Jobs Report 2023]

cannabis policy

What is happening at the federal and state level in the US? Here are some current statistics:

• 21 states and Washington, DC have legalized adult-use cannabis. [Source: National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)]
• 17 states have legalized medicinal cannabis, but not adult use. [Source: National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)]
• 9 states allow cannabis use at extremely limited levels (low THC, high CBD) and have no regulated markets. [Source: National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)]
• Three states have not legalized cannabis in any form. [Source: National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)]
• There are currently four cannabis legalization bills in Congress. [Source: Marijuana Policy Project]
• There are currently eight phased cannabis reform bills in Congress. [Source: Marijuana Policy Project]

Cannabis users in the United States

Cannabis users in the US are evolving. That’s what the data says:

• Millennial consumers account for 46.2% of observed sales in the US, followed by Generational consumers [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]
• Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials in the US are the most likely to buy floral products (42.5%, 40.25% and 39.4%, respectively). Gen Z US consumers are the most likely to purchase vape pens (33.6%), closely followed by floral products (33.3%). [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]
• In the US, 66.24% of all cannabis sales are by male users and 33.8% by female users. [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]
• Half of every dollar spent on topical cannabis products in the US in the first two months of 2023 came from female users (50.2%). [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]

Cannabis users in Canada

Just like in the US, data shows that Canadian cannabis users are changing over time:

• Millennial users account for 50.3% of recorded cannabis sales in Canada, followed by Gen Z users (21.8%), Gen X users (20.6%) and Baby Boomer users (7.3%). [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]
• Canada’s Baby Boomer, Generation X, Millennial and Generation Z consumers are the most likely to buy flower products (41.9%, 37.1%, 39.5% and 36.1%, respectively). However, Canada’s Gen Z consumers are more likely than any other age group to buy vape pens (27.4%). [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]
• In Canada, 62.5% of all cannabis sales are by male users and 37.5% by female users. [Source: Headset Demographics Report 2023]

Cannabis and Public Perceptions in the United States

We’ve come a long way in the legal cannabis industry, but it’s taken us a long time to get here:

• 68% of US adults believe cannabis use should be legal (up from 12% in 1969). [Source: October 2022 Gallup Poll]
• Demographic groups whose support for legalization exceeds the national average by 10 percentage points or more include: 1) those with no religious preference (89% support legalization), 2) self-identified liberals (84%), 3) self-identified liberals (84%) Democrats (81%) , 4) young adults (79%) and those who rarely or never attend church (78%). [Source: October 2022 Gallup Poll]
• Demographic groups whose support for legalization is at least 10 points below the national average include: 1) those who attend church weekly (46% support legalization), 2) conservatives (49%), 3) Republicans ( 51%), 4) Older adults (53%) and Hispanic adults (56%). [Source: October 2022 Gallup Poll]

Source: Gallup Poll October 2022 – https://news.gallup.com/poll/405086/marijuana-views-linked-ideology-religiosity-age.aspx

Cannabis sales in the United States

Cannabis sales in the United States continue to grow. Check out the following stats for an overview:

• US cannabis sales for 2023 are estimated at $33.6 billion. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• US cannabis sales for adult use in 2023 are estimated at $22.5 billion. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• Sales of medicinal cannabis in the US are estimated at $11.1 billion in 2023. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• US cannabis sales for 2028 are expected to be $56.9 billion. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• US adult cannabis sales are expected to reach $42.8 billion in 2028. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]
• Sales of medicinal cannabis in the US are expected to reach US$14.1 billion in 2028. [Source: MJBiz Factbook 2023]

Cannabis Licenses and Point of Sale Software

How many cannabis licenses have been granted? How many are active? What Point of Sale (POS) Software Platforms Are Cannabis Companies Using? Here is the data from Cannabiz Media:

• Cannabiz Media reports that as of May 9, 2023, there are 42,187 active individual US cannabis licenses. [Source: Cannabiz Media License Database]
• Cannabiz Media reports that there are 4,890 active individual cannabis licenses in Canada as of May 9, 2023. [Source: Cannabiz Media License Database]
• As of early 2023, there were 79 point-of-sale software providers serving the cannabis industry in the US and 53 in Canada. [Source: Cannabiz Media Point-of-Sale Software in the Cannabis Industry – 2022 Report]
• There are 15 POS software companies competing in both the US and Canada. [Source: Cannabiz Media Point-of-Sale Software in the Cannabis Industry – 2022 Report]
• Combined, the top five POS software providers in the US hold a 60% market share. [Source: Cannabiz Media Point-of-Sale Software in the Cannabis Industry – 2022 Report]
• Combined, the two largest POS software providers in Canada hold a 73% market share. [Source: Cannabiz Media Point-of-Sale Software in the Cannabis Industry – 2022 Report]

Key takeaways on cannabis industry statistics and data

Despite the challenges companies and consumers face in the cannabis industry, the data shows that things are slowly changing for the better. A poll by the Pew Research Center in October 2022 found that only one in ten American adults (10%) believe cannabis should not be legal for any use (medical and/or adult use).

Source: Pew Research Center October 2022 Survey – https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/11/22/americans-overwhelmingly-say-marijuana-should-be-legal-for-medical-or -recreational -use/

The key takeaway is this: You can’t stop progress, and the cannabis industry’s forward momentum can’t be stopped. Yes, there may be obstacles, but progress will continue.

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