Women Are Consuming More Cannabis Every Year - The Fastest Growing Consumer Group?

women buying weed

Women are fast becoming the group with the highest cannabis consumption rate. Reports have it that this year alone, over 15 million women have purchased cannabis products through legal sources.

Different age groups of women, with Gen Z being the most influential are the fastest-growing consumers of legal weed.

Unlike the past where marijuana producers put less effort into the design and branding of their products, now we see them taking design lessons from transitional consumer brands while they work at using clear labels with lab-tested ingredients in producing marijuana products.

Cannabis and Women

Women have started to deviate from the typical expectations the world asks of them. In using weed, they are also changing the stereotype of the world having only "stoner dudes".

The women are not playing with their newfound love for cannabis, they're the biggest target group to watch out for now. Luckily, the more women consume cannabis, the lesser the stigma attached to female smokers gets.

The reason for the increase in the number of women shopping for weed can not be singled out, some claim it helps them deal better with anxiety issues and related stress.

There have also been claims that Marijuana can be used to improve sexual health and manage gynecological issues.

Experts have also suggested that the increasing female use of cannabis is due to the new female CEOs that are putting more effort to make products appealing to women.

Investigations are being carried out to determine if these claims can stand.

Current Stats

Since 2019, the steady increase in the percentage of cannabis sales to females has increased by a total of 3.2%. Even though that figure seems small, it is significant when the bigger picture is observed. It will have a lasting influence on the industry because both genders shop differently when purchasing cannabis products.

Where men lean towards pre-rolls and concentrate, women prefer to go for edibles and cartridges. Both demographics spend the most on flowers, but an in-depth comparison will show that female consumers are more likely to purchase cannabis products than flowers, unlike men who prefer flowers above all.

This difference can be as high as 8 dollars difference on every $100 purchase spent on cannabis.

For example, in California, for every $100 purchase, women shoppers spend around $36.30 on flowers while men spend $43.90 on flowers.

The market share of women cannabis consumers was 35% in 2019, currently, it is over 38.2% and still increasing.

The Products with the highest consumption among the womenfolk

Akerna reports that 27.53% of the female cannabis consumers are less than 30 on age, while 29.50% are within the range of 30 to 40 years old. The four most preferred products within both groups are cartridges, concentrates, edibles and flowers in no particular order.

Each age group has its product preference, but the flower is still the favorite across all groups. Over 44% of female consumers consider it to be their top choice.

According to reports from Akerna, concentrates is currently the third most popular cannabis product being consumed by younger women. edibles which were previously third saw a decline in its popularity and it is now the fourth most popular on the list.

A survey carried out in 2020 revealed that 10.2% of women prefer concentrates, while 8.9% prefer edibles.

It is said that the increased popularity of concentrates can be credited to the reduced stigma attached to the drug, as well as the widespread acceptance of the drug based on consumer education.

The younger demographic prefers concentrates, while the older woman leans more towards edibles. This is also the same in the male distribution. Although the women are being noticed more than the men demographic.

Akerna's report states that 61.8% of cannabis sales can be attributed to male consumers. The women are gradually closing the gap while challenging the actors in the industry to improve their game strategy.

What next?

Women will continue to drive cannabis sales in the coming months. Manufacturers are also going to spend more on creating better strategies to reach the women demographic.

To attract more sales, manufacturers will have to improve the levels of customer service, product design, branding, and the retail experience.

Manufacturers tend to direct all their marketing and merchandising efforts towards the male demographic. This is understandable because men still make up the larger percentage of adult-use buyers, but the outlook of these products tends to put women off. The male-personalized designs are detrimental to attracting female shoppers.

By paying close attention to meeting the needs of these women shoppers, the industry will get more innovative and creative in meeting the demands of all consumers—male and female.

Will Cannabis Abuse also be a thing among female consumers?

The abuse of cannabis drugs is not new. It has been a thing for as long as anyone can remember. From studies carried over the years, it has been revealed that women may be more impacted by the harsh side effects of excessive marijuana use.

Observations show that females progress into addiction within a lesser time frame than males do, despite not smoking the plants as frequently as the men.

Harvard Health Publication claims that women have begun to take advantage of medical and recreational marijuana being sold in cannabis-legal states.

A good number of women have been advocates for medical marijuana. The number of women with active marijuana treatment cards varies from state to state.

Some have taken to misusing their marijuana prescription, this will result in cannabis addiction down the line. There is little the regulators can do because the marijuana being misused is legal and approved.

Since 2009, 20% of all female arrests have been due to cannabis-related offenses.

Last thoughts: "The Future of Cannabis Is Female "

The managing director of the Brightfield Group—a cannabis market research agency, Bethany Gomez believes the future of cannabis is female, "they are an order of magnitude more" added Gomez.

The industry will begin to see new product innovations that will surely attract more females to cannabis products. The product demand will surely change as the number of women shoppers gradually increases around the country.