Cannabis consumers in the US and Canada are pretty similar, except in a few key ways, according to new data released by Headset. The analytics firm put data from Alberta side-by-side with data from US markets California, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington from Q1 2021 and found two major differences—and one interesting tidbit about Gen Z.
Gen Z Insights
When it comes to product format, the youngest generation of consumers is curious and cost-conscious.
In Alberta, more Gen Z customers are trying out new products like vape products (23.77%) than their oldest-generation counterparts (10.66%). While the middle children, Millennials and Gen X, have started to dabble as more products become available (18.43% and 14.96%, respectively), at the end of the day all generations can agree that some good bud is their favourite.
The most noticeable difference between Canadian and US consumers, according to Headset, is that Gen Z customers drive a higher portion of sales in Canada, compared to down south. While this could be due to Canada’s softening stigma surrounding cannabis use, it’s likely due to the lower legal age requirement to buy it in Alberta, where the legal age is 18, versus 21 in the US.
Canadian Women Love Cannabis
In the US, only 32%, around one-third, of cannabis sales came out of women’s wallets. In Canada, however, the split is closer to 60/40. Headset data shows that in Alberta, at least, women bought 41% of the cannabis sold in the first quarter this year, making Albertan women’s share 27% larger than that of US women.
On both sides of the 49th parallel, the cannabis industry continues to grow, allowing more consumer segments to take part.