Chicago-based cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabis-focused market research organization, Brightfield Group, has published a new report highlighting legislative and consumer trends in the US cannabis market.
For the report, Brightfield Group collected data from two sources. The first was via a survey from a census-balanced sample of 3,500 unique cannabis users aged 21 and over in the US. The second came from 5,000 Evergi consumers aged 21 and over in the US, who were census-balanced on age, gender and geography.
While new recreational cannabis users in the US made up 6% of total cannabis consumers in 2020, the researchers found that they were diverse in sexual orientation and ethnicity. They further found that 59% of these new users were women and that 22% of them were from Generation Z.
The report also found that new recreational users in 2020 are often the heaviest cannabis users. 50% of new users were found to use the plant five or more days per week, with 22% using the plant multiple times per day. Meanwhile, 54% of new recreational users reportedly used cannabis to treat their anxiety, with 74% reporting using the plant for relaxation purposes. As data from Evergi Consumers shows that 56% of Americans often feel anxious or stressed out, the report says that there is a large pool of potential additional cannabis users in the US.
The report also found that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on cannabis use. 44% of consumers reported using cannabis more often due to the pandemic in late 2020, whereas at the beginning of the pandemic, just 34% thought they would increase usage. Moreover, the report found that 81% of consumers in October 2020 reported that cannabis helped them deal with stress from the pandemic, with 65% saying they smoked more to deal with stress.
Sources: Brightfield Group, Forbes
