Cannabis study casts light on US consumer use

According to the National Cannabis Study, 16% of US adults use cannabis – representing 38m people – with 10% of the population claiming they use the drug once a month, and 4% on a daily basis.

Among those who use cannabis, over half ( 55%) are recreational consumers, while 15% use it for medical reasons, and 29% said they use cannabis for both purposes. A quarter of ‘cannabis consumers’ ( 26%) said they use the drug daily.

The highest concentration of cannabis consumers live in the United States’ South Atlantic and Pacific regions (tied at 19%).

According to the research, people who use cannabis are more likely than the average consumer to say that they strive to achieve high social status, post reviews online, and connect with brands via social networks.

Cannabis has been legalised for recreational purposes in nine US states, including California, Colorado and Alaska, while medical marijuana is legal in another 30 states. Canada also recently legalised the recreational use of cannabis.

Karen Ramspacher, MRI’s senior vice-president of innovation and insights, said: “Cannabis as a widespread industry is finally putting down roots in the US. Brands, agencies, and institutions need authoritative data to guide their decisions – something lacking in this space. Our study will serve as a benchmark for anyone with a stake in the cannabis phenomenon – from promoters to detractors.”

The research was conducted via 3,000 respondents on MRI’s probability based KnowledgePanel, which has since been acquired by Ipsos. The study also included ethnography by Miner & Co Studio.