Who’s Among the New Cannabis Consumers?

By
HeadQuest

One in four Americans currently consume cannabis, reporting they’ve tried some form of cannabis within the past twelve months. What’s more, 23% of current cannabis consumers say they tried cannabis for the first time over the past year, suggesting the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with expanded state legalization, has rapidly accelerated cannabis acceptance and adoption in America.

These findings are part of a national study conducted by global public opinion and data company YouGov in partnership with Sunnyside, the national retail dispensary brand of Cresco Labs. The study, conducted in March 2021, examined cannabis consumption, attitudes and purchase behaviors of nearly 5,000 Americans representative of the U.S. Population.

Key findings from the study indicate that cannabis is attracting new consumers from a variety of demographics:

  • 44% of cannabis-consuming parents with children under 18 tried it for the first time in the past year.
  • 43% of Seniors (65+) who consume cannabis tried it for the first time in the past year.
  • Men and women are consuming cannabis equally as often during the year, month, week or day.

New Mexico became the 18th state to enact legislation to regulate cannabis for adult use, on the heels of adult-use legalization announcements from New York, New Jersey and Virginia. A total of 37 states and the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have approved comprehensive, publicly available medical cannabis programs.

According to YouGov, people’s cannabis preferences vary by region:

  • The Northeast is the most likely (64%) to consume cannabis for anxiety/stress relief.
  • People in the South and West Coast consume cannabis for social occasions more than the rest of the country.
  • The South is more likely (32%) to consume cannabis for intimacy than the rest of the country.
  • The Midwest (61%) is consuming edibles and beverages more than the rest of America.
  • 74% of Midwestern consumers, and 64% of all cannabis consumers, believe if more people embraced cannabis, the world would be a better place.

Recent Stories

Recent Articles

POS banner
By
Matt Weeks
Don’t Fear the Creeper: How to Maximize POS Displays
Common business advice tends to view the 80:20 rule simplistically. Focus on the 80% of your store that drives profit, it says. Ignore the rest. That’s fine for the average folks. But what about those who want to boost the other 20%?
Decore banner
By
Karen Maina
Is Store Decor Important? 
Before you've said a word, your shop is selling. The customer hasn’t touched a single product, and your staff hasn't even said hello. Your decor and layout have already done the talking, either pulling people in or pushing them away.
ATM banner
By
Jimmy Wohl
Versatile and Affordable ATM and POS Services
As VP of Operations at ATM Wholesaler and Elite Merchant Services, he’s picked up the baton from his father and CEO, Norman Koza, who passed it to him after founding this successful company over 25 years ago.
WIC Banner
By
Emily Long
Katie Motta – CEO at Jade Stone & Alluring Media Co.
2026-08-05_10-11-53
By
Jimmy Wohl
Fragile Markets Need Sturdy Security
You’ve chosen to work in a gray area. You sell products that contain cannabis or cannabis-adjacent substances as well as accessories that can be used to consume it. And while that area has become less gray—you can see rays of sunlight peeking through—the skies are still cloudy. THC remains a Schedule 1 substance, even as medical marijuana has migrated to Schedule 3.
2026-07-30_23-43-05
By
Emily Long
What Retailers Wish They Knew When They Opened Their First Shop
Running a cannabis business is notoriously complicated. For dispensaries, complex compliance burdens permeate every facet of the business, from zoning and licensing to marketing and payments. Whether you’ve been in the cannabis space for mere months or multiple decades, you’ve likely run into drawn-out approval processes, supply chain headaches, or constantly changing regulation that makes compliance challenging, not to mention the other micro and macroeconomic factors that plague all small business owners.
3
By
Joe Reefer
Behind the Scenes: Not Ya Son’s Weed
Blending traditional values with modernized, energetic branding, Not Ya Son’s Weed falls somewhere between the cannabis days of yore and today’s recreational cannabis boom. Not Ya Son’s Weed offers a variety of products—including pre-rolls, exotic flower, and gummies—that provide much-needed relief without being too overbearing.
2026-07-30_20-13-55
By
Matt Weeks
Hawaiian Punch: One man’s fight to keep hemp legal
The officials came for Lance Alyas once before. In 2023, they caught him in a sting, seized his merchandise, and tossed him in jail. But just seven days later, after he invoked Hawaii's version of a Freedom of Information Act request, the whole case fell apart. Alyas was released without bail, allowed to simply walk out the door. Now, he’s advocating for freedom from Hawaii’s state officials once again. Only this time, it’s not just his own freedom. As the owner of Oahu’s top-rated smoke shops, he’s fighting for everyone’s right to sell hemp products in the Aloha State.