MRI-Simmons Study Reveals Cannabis Consumption up 38% YoY in the U.S.

NEW YORK, April 20, 2020 -- MRI-Simmons, the essential consumer truth set, today announced findings from its National Cannabis Study, which captures the full spectrum of cannabis use across the US. Among its many findings, the study shows that 22% of all US adults – over 55 million people – now use cannabis, with 17% of the total US population consuming once a month or more, and 7% consuming on a daily basis. The study also revealed that one in five of these consumers is using only CBD products.

Consumption in Context

To understand cannabis in the context of other behaviors, respondents were asked how often they use caffeine, vitamins, herbal supplements and cannabis. Between 2018 and 2019, consumption of cannabis, herbal supplements and vitamins grew YoY, while consumption of caffeine and alcohol dropped slightly.

Attitudes on Legalization

Six in ten Americans believe cannabis should be legal, a slight uptick from the 56% reported in 2018. Supporters skew younger, with a median age of 44. Thirty-four percent fall into the 18-34 age group. Non-supporters are older, with a median age of 54, and over half (56%) fall into the 50+ age group.

Reasons for Legalization

Attitudes towards cannabis are supportive across all age groups. Sixty-four percent of all adults 18+ expect marijuana will be legal in all states within 5 years, 66% agree that legalizing cannabis would cut down on illegal drug traffic, and 70% agree that legalization would be a good way to add tax revenue. Most of these measures have seen an uptick, ranging from 9% to 23% increase year over year among the total population.

Consumer Product Interest

As legal status changes, there are clear opportunities for new cannabis products and businesses. When asked about cannabis-infused product interest, adults (18+) were most interested in teas, while cannabis consumers were equally interested in teas and coffees.

“Cannabis as a consumer product is growing in the US,” said Karen Ramspacher, MRI’s SVP of Innovation and Insights. “The segment to keep an eye on will be the CBD-only consumers, who skew young, female, and multicultural with a higher household income. As consumer attitudes and behaviors continue to shift, MRI-Simmons’ National Cannabis Study will continue to provide perspective on cannabis within the broad range of product consumption, attitudes and lifestyle insights that marketers have come to trust.”