BDS study reveals evolving habits of cannabis consumers

BOULDER — Cannabis users are focusing on issues such as dosages, quality control and the best ways to consume measured amounts of cannabis, according to a new study from BDS Analytics.

“There is enormous innovation potential ahead,” said Linda Gilbert, managing director of consumer insights for Boulder-based BDS Analytics, which shared some of the data with BizWest.

BDS found that, of people who consumed cannabis via edibles (Gilbert said that edibles are the product that most accurately reflects dosage information) in the past six months, 25 percent said they preferred lower concentrate products that are portion controlled. Nineteen percent of users who consumed edibles said they like to nibble on a higher concentrate product during the day.

SPONSORED CONTENT

People Powered: Preparing Longmont Businesses for Economic Success

Longmont Chamber and FNBO present People Powered on April 24, 2024, aiming to inform business owners about workforce development, housing, and transportation issues.

The study surveyed more than 11,600 U.S. adults, aged 21 or older during the first quarter of 2018. Of those, 1,576 are consumers of edibles in the past six months.

Gilbert added that 30 percent of the users who consume edibles didn’t know their preference when it comes to doses, 19 percent said they prefer products with less than 5 mg of THC, the chemical compound in cannabis that gives the “high” feeling. Twenty-eight percent prefer products that are between 5 to 20mg. Eight percent said they prefer products in the 21 to 50 mg range while 14 percent said they prefer products with more than 50 mg of THC.

The fact that users do care about dosage size will likely lead to changes in edibles, Gilbert said. For example, there can still be inconsistency in how two gummy candies from the same container will affect a user.

[advert]

“I don’t want one Tylenol to do nothing and another to put me to sleep when I want to get rid of a headache,” Gilbert said. “I believe we’ll see a rise in quality control because of the interest in dosage.”

In fact, 38 percent of survey respondents said they feel manufacturers need to do a better job of making product dosages reliably consistent from serving to serving.

Gilbert also said that the study found that, often, when consumers are using higher-dosage products it’s for serious medical reasons, such as combating the side effects of chemotherapy. Additionally, there is an increase in users who don’t seem like the typical consumers of cannabis, such as mothers substituting cannabis for a glass of wine. Gilbert said the changes in user could lead to products being marketed less by dosage and more by the effect that can be expected, such as relaxation or creative energy.

But manufacturers and growers are still learning a lot about developments and innovations in cannabis.
“We don’t understand the science of the delivery systems yet, they’re still being developed,” Gilbert said. “We are going to see much more sophisticated products offer more reliable consistent experiences with high assurances of safety.”

She added that for a lot of the survey respondents who don’t currently consume cannabis but are considering doing so, they most likely want to consume via edibles or topicals. They’re often coming at it for a health reason, so they are less likely to smoke or vape.

“It comes back to who is your consumer,” she said. “Whether it’s a younger or older woman, a man or a woman, someone who’s an outdoor enthusiast or medically motivated. There are people who use edibles before they run to enjoy the experience more, and then rub a topical on a sore knee as an after treatment. But heaven forbid you give me an edible before my run and I can’t hold my head up any longer. “