Almost 4 Million Americans Are CBD Users; Segment Has a Health-Focused View of Cannabis
March 19 2019 - 04:45PM
Business Wire
MRI-Simmons’ syndicated National Cannabis Study provides
unprecedented learning on marijuana users and avoiders
The hemp-derived oil known as CBD is bringing cannabis to the
mainstream, from CBD “shots” at coffee shops to edible CBD gummy
bears sold at convenience stores. Newly released research from
MRI-Simmons shows that people who buy CBD items can be very
different from other consumers of cannabis products.
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Data from MRI’s National Cannabis Study – the only syndicated
nationwide study of cannabis consumption and attitudes – shows that
36 million Americans (ages 18 and above) are cannabis consumers,
and 10% of them (3.7 million) use CBD products.
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MRI-Simmons cannabis research
Cannabis as a wellness tool
Half (50%) of “CBDers” say they consume cannabis only for
medical purposes – compared to 15% of the overall cannabis
population. (See Table 1.) Another 42% of CBDers consume cannabis
for both medical and recreational reasons.
Table 1. Reasons for cannabis
consumption: CBDers versus
all cannabis consumers
Reasons for cannabisconsumption
CBD consumers All cannabis consumers Medical only
50% 15% Medical & recreational 42%
29% Recreational only 8% 55%
Almost two-thirds (60%) of CBD consumers belong to the Wellness
Pot Practitioners segment, one of three groups of cannabis users
identified by MRI-Simmons. This segment views cannabis as primarily
a health and wellness tool; in fact, one-third of CBD consumers
take part in meditation while consuming – and 13% practice
yoga.
Showing an activist streak
One-third (34%) of CBD consumers are active members of a group
that promotes legalization of cannabis. In addition, 8 out of 10
(81%) CBD consumers agree that the benefits of cannabis outweigh
any negative health concerns, and three-quarters (72%) say that
consumption is widely accepted in their friend group.
With a median age of 45, CBD consumers skew a little bit younger
than the average American. CBD consumers are also highly
multicultural; they are roughly 40% more likely than the average
cannabis consumer to be Hispanic, Asian, or Native American.
The National Cannabis Study also provides in-depth information
on every aspect of cannabis consumers’ lives, including
- product use
- media and technology use
- attitudes about politics, medicine, and
hundreds of other subjects
“The CBD consumer is both more mainstream and more politically
engaged than the average cannabis consumer,” said Michael
Panebianco, Vice President of Sales at MRI-Simmons. “They advocate
for the legalization of cannabis, even though some are hesitant
about actually consuming it. And their use of products and media
are distinct from other cannabis groups. As with all other buyers
today, it is essential to know them inside and out and provide
messages and products that speak directly to their needs.”
The MRI National Cannabis Study was conducted using a nationally
representative sample of over 3,000 respondents on KnowledgePanel*.
The resulting dataset was fused to MRI’s top-quality consumer
dataset for deep profiling purposes and nationwide universe
estimates. Miner & Co Studio – leading researchers in the world
of cannabis since 2014 – provided thought leadership and
ethnographies to bring the findings to life.
MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer® represents the gold
standard in traditional planning and consumer insights. As part of
the Survey, MRI conducts over 24,000 in-person, in-home interviews
each year in both English and Spanish, capturing an unequaled range
of information on US consumers’ media use, buying habits,
lifestyles, and attitudes.
* Note: The cannabis survey was conducted on KnowledgePanel
while it was owned by GfK; the panel has since become the property
of Ipsos.
About MRI-Simmons
Launched as a joint venture in 2019, MRI-Simmons combines the
assets and expertise of two of the leading consumer insights
providers in the US. Together, they will offer agency, media, and
advertiser clients the best in research and technology with the
highest quality data, the strongest strategic partnerships, the
most innovative digital platforms, and intuitive, easy-to-use
visual reporting.
MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer® – which has maintained
MRC accreditation for over 20 years – is used in the majority of US
media and marketing plans and has long been the industry standard
for magazine audience ratings. Through 24,000 in-person interviews
each year, MRI captures in-depth information on consumer media
choices, attitudes, and consumption of products and services in
nearly 600 categories.
Simmons measures American consumer psychographics, preferences,
attitudes, and media behaviors by closely overlaying survey and
passively measured data using advanced measurement sciences. For
more than 60 years, Simmons has helped leading brands, agencies,
and media companies effectively engage with consumers, providing
measurement of over 200,000 consumer elements.
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David StantonVP, MarCommsT 908 875 9844david.stanton@gfk.com