From Niche to Normal – Cannabis Use Becoming More Accepted in the United States
November 19 2018 - 9:47AM
Business Wire
Consumers and Non-Consumers Say Cannabis is
Good for the Economy
Growing numbers of consumers support the legalization of
cannabis in some form and a majority believes it has a positive
impact on the economy, according to the newly released 2018 Fall
Cannabis Culture Poll, developed jointly by leading global
communications agency BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), PSB Research
and Civilized, a premium media and lifestyle brand that embraces
and highlights modern cannabis culture. A full 83 percent of the
poll’s respondents (U.S. adults, cannabis consumers and
non-consumers) say they support some form of legalization of
cannabis. Sixty-three percent of non-consumers, and 95 percent of
cannabis consumers, say legalization has had a positive economic
effect on the states where use has been made legal.
PSB Research, in partnership with BCW and Civilized, conducted
online interviews between September 26 and October 4, 2018 with
1,200 U.S. adults aged 21 and older to explore views on cannabis
and its usage and to determine general habits and behaviors of
those who use and those who do not use cannabis. Respondents are
defined here as consumers and non-consumers.
While consumers and non-consumers say legalization has
benefitted local economies, cannabis purchases continue to be
interpersonal transactions. Currently, 46 percent of consumers say
they buy cannabis from friends or family, while just 30 percent
patronize dispensaries. However, 84 percent of consumers who do not
purchase cannabis at a dispensary say they would be willing to
consider doing so. Thirty-eight percent of non-consumers say they
would consider spending money with a cannabis-related business if
it were legal where they live.
Use of cannabis in the U.S. is primarily recreational, but
medical use is also popular. One in five (19 percent) of Americans
currently consume cannabis, and more than half of those consumers
say they use it at least a few times a week. More than four in five
self-reported cannabis consumers use it for recreation, while about
half of consumers report using cannabis for medical purposes.
Cannabidiol (CBD) use among self-reporting consumers is also fairly
common -- about one in three cannabis consumers also report using
CBD for medical or other purposes.
The amount of dried and cured cannabis that consumers buy
varies; while about one in 10 consumers buy one gram or less per
month, about one third of consumers buy at least a quarter of an
ounce every month. Thirty-five percent of cannabis consumers say
they spend at least $100 per month cannabis or cannabis-related
products.
“The 2018 midterm elections just confirmed the data from The
Cannabis Culture Poll – cannabis is moving from niche to normal
across the U.S.,” said Chris Foster, President, North America, BCW.
“Michigan voters just made their state the tenth in the U.S. to
legalize recreational cannabis, and Missouri and Utah passed
initiatives to legalize medical marijuana, making medical use legal
in 33 states.
“However, as legalization continues to spread across the U.S.
and create new market opportunities, it won’t be long before the
government begins to establish standards for production,
distribution and consumption,” Foster continued. “Entrepreneurs and
business owners will need to be prepared to navigate what is sure
to become a complex regulatory environment.”
Consumers and non-consumers already see the need for some level
of regulation and oversight of the industry. About half of
non-consumers and over two-thirds of consumers would view the
industry more favorably if it partnered with organizations to
develop medical standards and regulations, increased industry
funding for research on cannabis’ effects from medical and
recreational use, and/or developed public education campaigns to
support responsible legal use of cannabis and its derivatives.
“We’re excited to see the strides business leaders and voters in
the U.S. are making to normalize cannabis,” says Derek Riedle,
Publisher of Civilized. “There is incredible potential for this
industry as cannabis sheds its taboo, shadowed past. We’re proud to
be part of the movement as the industry brings cannabis out of the
dark and into more lives across North America.”
About BCW
BCW is one of the world’s largest full-service global
communications agencies. Founded by the merger of Burson-Marsteller
and Cohn & Wolfe, BCW delivers digitally and data-driven
creative content and integrated communications programs grounded in
earned media and scaled across all channels for clients in the B2B,
consumer, corporate, crisis management, CSR, healthcare, public
affairs and technology sectors. BCW is a part of WPP (NYSE: WPP),
the world leader in communications services. For more information,
visit www.bcw-global.com.
About PSB Research
PSB is a full-service custom research and analytics consultancy
that connects data-driven insights with human experience to solve
clients’ most critical challenges. With a heritage in political
polling, PSB brings the agility of campaign strategy to research
and consulting across a wide range of industries, including
technology, healthcare, financial services, and entertainment. PSB
is a member of the BCW Group of companies, which is a part of WPP
(NYSE: WPP), the world leader in communications services. For more
information, visit www.psbresearch.com.
About Civilized Worldwide Inc.
Founded in 2015, with offices in New Brunswick and California,
Civilized is a premium media and lifestyle brand that embraces and
highlights modern cannabis culture, reflecting the millions of
adults who choose to enjoy cannabis as part of a balanced
lifestyle, but don't define themselves by it. Reaching more than 3
million unique monthly visitors North America-wide, Civilized
produces engaging content for and about people who enjoy cannabis
responsibly. Other verticals include Civilized Studios, a video
network available to 100+ million viewers that fills the void of
broadcast quality video and original series in the cannabis space,
and Civilized Events, exclusive branded experiences for both the
cannabis industry and consumers – from intimate dinner parties to
large-scale events like the first-ever World Cannabis Congress. For
more information, visit civilized.life.
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Catherine
Sullivan212.798.9501Catherine.Sullivan@bcw-global.com
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