Not in the 2020 Dumpster Fire: Cannabis Consumption

While much of 2020 went up in smoke, the cannabis industry was one of the few spared. Anecdotally, from clients and through state sales figures, Bud Agency noticed big increases in cannabis sales and got to thinking, “How else has COVID-19 changed cannabis?” To answer our question, we turned to an infallible source of information: the internet – particularly, social media. Bud Agency surveyed United States cannabis users about how their consumption has changed during 2020.

Our Key Findings

• 44 percent of respondents said their cannabis consumption increased due to COVID.
• 28 percent said it is more difficult to purchase cannabis after COVID hit, but that online ordering makes it easier.
• 75 percent purchase four or more products per month from a dispensary.
• 58 percent say their typical monthly expense for cannabis is more than $200.
• 52 percent said they preferred getting information about their dispensary’s inventory, specials and activities from Leafly and Weedmaps.
• The most popular cannabis strain was Blue Dream, followed by Sour Diesel.
• The most popular product type was flower, followed by vape.
• Declaring cannabis as “essential” gave new hope and confidence to consumers about the industry’s acceptance into mainstream.

The Details

Pandemic Purchases
The arguably least shocking but notable finding of the survey is when asked if their cannabis consumption increased, decreased or stayed the same since the pandemic hit, 44 percent of respondents said their cannabis consumption increased. Forty-eight percent said their consumption stayed the same, while eight percent said it decreased. The half that reported a change in consumption skews heavily toward an increase in consumption, fueled by worldwide uncertainty and stress. The eight percent that reported a decrease is potentially attributable to job loss and a decrease in income.

When asked how difficult purchasing cannabis has been since the COVID pandemic struck, 28 percent said it has been more difficult to purchase cannabis, while eight percent said that cannabis was easier to purchase than before. Sixty-four percent reported no change.

If they are heading to the dispensary, 75 percent of respondents purchase four or more products per month. Fifty-eight percent say their typical monthly expense for cannabis is more than $200.

Key Quotes
“The [COVID] limitations make the service slower and lines longer. I spend more time acquiring the medicine.”

“Less variety is available and money is tight for a lot of people.”

“Well, usually you could order online or just drop in, but now you have to be careful of others and pay more attention to deals. Then, there’s the part of not being able to examine your purchase – smell or look at pre-packed jars.”

“No money, no job.”

“Dispensaries are wanting people to come inside to get value strains. I do not want to be around more people right now. I want to order online and be in and out.”

“With online ordering via Weedmaps, I am able to place my order ahead of time then pick it up after work more easily than before. Our dispensary has a separate line for online order pickup, which saves me loads of time.”

“I typically use online ordering, both before and after COVID, so the way I get my medicine hasn’t really changed.”

   

COVID Communications
Fifty-two percent of respondents prefer getting information about their dispensary’s inventory, specials and activities from Leafly and Weedmaps; 33 percent said the dispensary’s website; followed by five percent for social media and SMS, respectively; three percent by word of mouth; and only two percent by email.

Communication doesn’t seem to be lacking; however, there is room for improvement. Eight-two percent of respondents said that dispensaries are providing enough information, while only two percent said too much information, and 17 percent said too little information.

Bud Agency’s quick recommendation based on this data would be that if a dispensary is not communicating with its customers on Weedmaps, Leafly, and its website, it needs to develop a strategy to win on these platforms, exploring all options, including paid ads.

Popular Products
According to survey respondents, the most popular cannabis strain during the pandemic has been Blue Dream, followed by Sour Diesel. Favorite product types:

• 69 percent flower
• 12 percent vapes
• 10 percent concentrates
• Five percent edibles
• Two percent topicals
• Two percent other

As cannabis continues to normalize and move into the mainstream, the popularity of different product types will continue to rise as different types of consumers enter the market. Edibles and vape-ables will continue to attract new segments of cannabis consumers who aren’t interested in smoking, perhaps most especially those stuck at home. Topicals will offer relief to athletes, the elderly, and others with inflammation or pains. While the trend has been for cannabis brands to consolidate SKUs in the past year, we can expect those with staying power to see a rise in popularity among their non-combustible products.

While motivations may vary, one thing is for sure – cannabis is an essential part of many people’s daily lives, and even a global pandemic isn’t going to change that. It is so essential in fact that state governments deemed dispensaries “essential businesses” across the country that remained open to serve throughout the pandemic.

When we asked our respondents what it means to them for cannabis to be declared essential, they said:

“It means I can get my medicine.”

“If cannabis is essential, then it should be legal everywhere. Hopefully, the cannabis stigma will end and cannabis will be legal everywhere.”

“It means a lot because it really is essential. People have ditched RX drugs and are finding better relief for a natural plant.”

So, good-bye, 2020. It has been real … real stressful, but real enlightening for the cannabis industry. It forced state governors, some who were opposed to legalize cannabis, whether medical marijuana or recreational, to declare the industry “essential,” providing a level of acceptance that may have been in a gray area before. Here’s to 2021 – a new year and a new crop of cannabis consumers to help usher in our country’s next chapter of our relationship with cannabis.

Elizabeth Michael is a principal at Bud Agency, a marketing and communications firm that focuses on the legal cannabis industry in the United States.