Environmental consciousness is on the rise, consumers want budtender recommendations, and the online cannabis market is thriving, according to new data.
Cannabis Retailer commissioned Caddle to survey 9,558 Canadian cannabis users in September 2024 on their purchasing habits.
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable packaging is a significant concern for many cannabis consumers, with 38.2% rating it as “very important.”
A majority of consumers (66.6%) expressed some level of importance for sustainable packaging, combining those who rated it “very important” and “somewhat important.”
While a smaller percentage (33.4%) were either indifferent or found sustainable packaging unimportant, it’s clear that a significant portion of the market values environmentally friendly practices.
Both male and female consumers exhibited similar patterns in their views on sustainable packaging. However, there was a slight gender difference, with male consumers tending to value sustainable packaging slightly more than average responses, while female consumers rated it slightly less important.
The data reveals that younger generations, particularly millennials and Gen Z, are more likely to prioritize sustainable packaging compared to older generations. Greatest Gen shows the lowest level of concern for sustainable packaging, with 84.3% rating it as “somewhat important” or “indifferent.” In contrast, Gen Z demonstrates the highest level of interest, with 41.8% rating sustainable packaging as “very important.”
Budtender Recommendations
A majority of cannabis consumers (65%) consider budtender recommendations when making purchases. There was a slight gender difference in this regard, with slightly more men (66%) taking recommendations into account compared to women (64%).
Younger generations were more likely to consider budtender recommendations than older generations. Gen Z, the youngest generation, was the most likely to rely on budtender advice, with 75% taking their recommendations into account. Greatest Gen, the oldest group, had the lowest rate of considering budtender recommendations at 31%.
Dried Cannabis Prices
A wide range of prices were reported, with 28.6% of consumers paying less than $5 per gram and 12.6% paying $10 or more.
The most common price range was less than $5, accounting for 28.6% of purchases followed by $5 to $5.99 at 20.9%. Prices gradually decreased in frequency as they rose above $5, indicating that higher prices were less common.
Both male and female consumers exhibited similar patterns in the average price they paid for dried cannabis.
The most common price ranges for both genders were $5 to $5.99, followed by less than $5. However, there was a slight difference in the distribution of prices between genders, with male consumers showing slightly smaller gaps between the price ranges.
The data reveals that Greatest Gen primarily paid for dried cannabis in the $6 to $6.99 price range, with 84.3% of purchases falling within this category. In contrast, younger generations, such as millennials and Gen Z, exhibited a more diverse range of prices, with a significant portion paying less than $5 per gram and a smaller percentage paying $10 or more.
But with the exception of Greatest Gen, the majority of all age groups paid less than $5 per gram for dried cannabis.
Online Purchases
The majority of online cannabis purchases in the past three months were made from licensed retailers (46.5%) and licensed producers (30.0%).
A significant portion (18.0%) still purchased from illicit sites, indicating a continued presence of the black market. Only 6% purchased from other sources, and 16.5% did not make any online cannabis purchases during that time.
The data reveals that Greatest Gen primarily purchased from licensed retailers (84.3%), while younger generations, such as millennials and Gen Z, exhibited a more diverse range of sources. Millennials and Gen Z had similar purchasing patterns, with a significant portion purchasing from licensed retailers and producers, while also using illicit sites.
Baby boomers showed a slightly higher tendency to purchase from illicit sites compared to the younger generations. Overall, the data suggests a shift towards more regulated sources of cannabis among younger consumers.
Cannabis Purchases
While a significant majority (83%) of individuals did not purchase cannabis in the past three months, 17% did. This is a notable drop from last month, where 22% of individuals purchased cannabis.
Gender disparities were apparent in cannabis purchasing habits, with a higher percentage of men (20%) purchasing cannabis compared to women (14%).
Cannabis purchasing in the past three months was most prevalent among younger generations. Millennials and Gen Z had the highest rates of cannabis purchase, both at 24%. Older generations, such as the Greatest Gen and baby boomers, had significantly lower rates of cannabis purchases.