We ran an anonymous, national survey from April to June 2020 to a diverse set of consumers in order to gain insight into their current feelings, understanding of cannabis issues, and vision of the industry’s future.
Our goal is to help cannabis companies make better decisions for consumers, and help the cannabis industry more fully understand how COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has changed consumer perceptions.
Oniracom Cannabis Consultant, Liz Rogan, shared with us that, “there appears to be more trust in delivery services than has ever existed before”. She also noted that “with immunocompromised members of the cannabis community, delivery has become especially popular”, but that those same individuals “may still be willing to go into stores that offer more competitive pricing or discounts for in-store purchases”.
Our findings indicate a move away from smoking, towards edibles and tinctures. Rogan attributes this to the fact that the pandemic has put a lot of people in close proximity within the home: “In close quarters and with children or family in the house, it’s not surprising to see a general move towards tinctures and edibles”. The rising popularity of CBD products also coincides with consumers seeking relief from anxiety, sleeplessness and depression, characteristic of times of change, and uncertainly.
Cannabis shops having a status equivalent to pharmacies, reflects a dramatic shift in cultural perceptions about the drug over the last decade.
Nearly all of the 33 states with legal medical or recreational markets have classified marijuana businesses as an essential service.
Despite the fact that nearly two-thirds of US states have legalized its use for medical or recreational purposes in recent years, the drug remains outlawed at the federal level.
In California, more than two dozen jurisdictions will have cannabis-related initiatives on the ballot when voters go to polls in November.
As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to Cannabis as a major commercial industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions. Organizations such as Last Prisoner Project work to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws and policies. More information on how to support their mission is available at their website)
View our full infographic below or click the button to download the file.