Our Polarized Society Does Not Deter Cannabis Users' Loyalty, Say Researchers

The percentage of cannabis acceptors in the U.S. who support legalization but do not consume it has decreased in recent years, according to a new report by BDSA.

The research and analytics firm found that a polarized society and a growing number of legalization supporters explain the decline.

The report noted that 90% of cannabis users say they will continue consuming cannabis, surpassing food and beverage loyalty, and that legalization has led to a significant increase in cannabis acceptance.

A Polarized Society

BDSA's director of analytics, Rick Maturo, attributes the decline in cannabis acceptors to a more polarized U.S. society and growing number of individuals who support cannabis legalization.

Cannabis acceptors have varying reasons for their stance, including drug testing in their workplaces, personal beliefs, experiences and the financial benefits of legalizing cannabis.

The percentage of consumers who do not use cannabis but accept its legalization has dropped significantly over the years, while the number of rejections remain constant.

The rejections are attributed to a perception that cannabis promotes irresponsible behavior and promotes the use of other drugs. Personal negative experiences with cannabis also led to rejection.

Cannabis Beats Food And Beverage In User Loyalty

BDSA found that 90% of cannabis users say they will continue consuming cannabis, which is higher than other industries such as food and beverage.

Maturo compared weed to other CPG categories and explained that 57% of consumers who bought snacks said they were likely to buy them again. He explained that the category speaks to the continued usage of cannabis, adding that legalization influences cannabis acceptance, as seen by the growing number of states legalizing it and growing number of consumers.

Maturo said it took seven years for Colorado to reach a 50% threshold for cannabis consumption, but Illinois reached the same threshold in just one and a half years.

Photo by svklimkin on Pixabay.