Report Finds Legal Recreational Marijuana Consumers Use Less Pain Meds, Alcohol and Sleep Aids
Marijuana consumers in states where it’s legal for recreational purposes use considerably less pain medications, alcohol and sleep aids, according to a new report.
The report, compiled by High Yield Insights, found that more than one out of every five consumers of recreational marijuana use less spirits, beer, painkillers and sedatives than standard consumers.
Specifically, the report found that legal recreational cannabis consumers use 27% less over-the-counter pain medications, 22% less sleep aids, 21% less alcoholic spirits and 20% less beer than consumers in states that have not legalized adult-use marijuana.
“We are just starting to grasp how legalization has impacted consumer behavior, be it spending, usage occasions, or shopping habits”, says Mike Luce, cofounder of High Yield Insights. “Understanding these changes will lead to new growth opportunities for cannabis and further disruption for other categories.”
Luce notes that the report’s findings “uncovered promising consumer niches for the industry”. For example, “many older consumers (55+) are reengaging with marijuana, with 56 percent reporting a return to marijuana after having tried cannabis products at a younger age.”
According to a press release announcing the report, it’s “the first to shed light on the behaviors, product and format preferences, and demographics of the evolving cannabis consumer in the wake of legalization.”