Cannabis Consumer Archetypes and Preferences for 2021 Marketers Should Know About

marketing marijuana to the masses

Understanding your market demographics and creating brand archetypes are an important way to truly reach your customer. That’s because these archetypes resemble vital facets within the human experience.

When marketers are successful in truly understanding their end-user and creating an archetype, they become successful at their work: getting more people to be aware of their brand, and becoming more popular in the marketplace. After all, cannabis users are no longer a homogenous group, who were in the past subject to stigmatic roles such as the lazy stoner, pothead, or couch potato. These days, there are more complex demographics and preferences involved and all of them play an important role in developing and marketing cannabis products.

Having said that, there’s a much stronger demand for cannabis since the start of the pandemic. Cannabis businesses are thriving. There’s lots of data to back that up, including a recent poll by Cresco Labs. “We were curious to learn how current conditions have impacted consumer attitudes and cannabis consumption behaviors ahead of what we expect to be an unprecedented 420 celebration,” explains Cresco Labs SVP for Customer Experience, Cris Rivera. “Whether it’s the stressors of a global pandemic, quality of life enhancement, or increased accessibility due to expanded state legalization, the industry is ready to meet these new consumers to introduce them to its precisely dosed lab-tested products, safe and professional packaging, and welcoming retail locations.”

So what are the cannabis consumer archetypes of 2021?

Euromonitor International Report

Euromonitor International released a white paper entitled: Breaking Stereotypes: Getting To Know The Cannabis Consumer, last month. They revealed valuable insights into six of the cannabis consumer archetypes that make up the consumer base this year.

“Cannabinoid consumers report drinking less alcohol, smoking less, and taking fewer consumer health products across markets,” explains Nicotine and Cannabis industry manager for Euromonitor, Shane MacGuill.

These are the 6 archetypes they have defined:

Seasoned consumers: These are people who have been coming cannabis for a long time, primarily for health and wellbeing. Some 24% of them are exposed to stress, but 64% of them support recreational legalization.

Casual social: They are the new, young consumers who have integrated cannabis products into their lifestyle. A majority of them (75%) take health supplements and 61% of them favor recreational cannabis legalization.

Dabbler: These are the people who only dabble in cannabis once in a while. Even though they are comfortable with cannabis and know all about it, they don’t see it as an integral part of their lifestyle.

Cannacurious: These are a wide consumer group who have an interest in recreational cannabis consumption only if it was legalized in their countries. However, they don’t have much knowledge about the use or benefits of cannabinoids.

Unsparked: These are consumers who have negative feelings towards cannabis use but because of their admitted uncertainty around it, there is still a chance that they could be persuaded to use it. Some of them believe cannabis is unsafe to use, while a small portion of them see cannabis as one that has the ability to improve their lifestyle.

Naysayers: These people have strong feelings against recreational use, with only 8% supporting legalization. They are not a priority for brand owners or manufacturers. They are the least stressed compared to all the profiles, too.

Verilife Study On Millennials And Baby Boomers

Another interesting look into the consumers is brought about by a recent study conducted by Verilife, a dispensary firm working with the PharmaCann group of companies. According to their findings, there are similarities when comparing baby boomers and millennials.

Specifically, they discovered that inhaling pot is the preferred method of consumption for both boomers and millennials. Given boomers’ age, they have more experience with pipes and joints as opposed to more modern, current methods available these days. Meanwhile, millennials began suing pot when inhalation was more prevalent compared to edibles or vape pens. On the other hand, it’s the Gen Z users who weren’t as familiar with inhalation.

Economics were also found to play a role when it comes to consumers’ preferred method. Flower is much more affordable, which means that young consumers who have less spending power will choose to opt for flower, even if there are other methods that work just as well.

They also found differences when it came to consumption methods.

“One of the biggest differences between how Millenials and Boomers consume marijuana lies within the reasons why each generation consumes,” says the study. “For Millennials, nearly half consume for recreational reasons, which is a stark contrast to Boomers who are twice as likely to use marijuana solely for medical reasons. Among those who consume for medical reasons, the top health ailments vary between generations. For example, Millennials cite chronic pain (27%) and migraines (13%) as their top medical reasons compared to Boomers who consume for arthritis (15%) and chronic pain (13%).”

When it came to recreational consumption, both Boomers and Millennials reported to using cannabis to relax. Both groups said they spend around the same money each month on cannabis, but both of them also reported to increasing consumption since the start of the pandemic. The study said that average spending jumped around $27 each month, on top of the existing $76 that they were already allocating prior to COVID-19.

The study also found that Millennials smoke more cannabis. “According to respondents, Millennials are more likely to consider themselves daily consumers. In fact, 1 in 5 Millennials said they consume marijuana daily compared to just 12 percent of Boomers.” It was also interesting to note that Boomers were more likely to have a wake and bake habit, reporting increased cannabis use in the smaller hours compared to Millennials, which could be attributed to being retired and their relaxed lifestyle.