Most Consumers Don’t Find Alcohol, Cannabis Interchangeable
Source: Wine & Spirits Daily
June 28, 2018
In 2017, the legal market for cannabis in the US was $9 billion, and could be $24 billion by 2021, assuming no major shifts in regulation, according to a presentation yesterday from Colorado-based cannabis research firm BDS Analytics. As cannabis continues marching its way toward legalization across the country, everyone wants to know if it will play nicely with the alcohol category.
BDS Analytics conducted a survey of consumers in states where recreational use is legal and found some answers to a few burning questions.
HOW ARE THEY PERCEIVED DIFFERENTLY?
While there is a significant crossover of consumers who partake in both pastimes, the consumption occasions are not exactly the same. In fact, BDS believes there are more occasions for cannabis in which alcohol is not appropriate, e.g., as a sleep aid, to treat pain and/or illnesses etc.
The most common activities consumers typically pair with cannabis are: movies, music, snacks, exercise and fine dining. While alcohol is on the list, the aforementioned activities are more common pairings with smoking marijuana.
HOW MUCH CROSSOVER IS THERE?
A large majority (72%) of cannabis users also drink alcohol. Cannabis users drink all three alcohol categories, but BDS determined that marijuana consumers tend to drink more beer (see chart below).
The alcohol categories with the highest correlation to marijuana are: mainstream domestic beer, Mexican import beer, red wine, vodka and whiskey.
Just 15% of marijuana consumers say they often use both alcohol and marijuana together. Though as many as 50% say they have at least tried it before.
Of consumers who do both, about half do not see them as interchangeable or complementary, but 12% think they are interchangeable at any time. “So for some people they are substitutable,” said Jessica Lukas, vp of consumer insights at BDS Analytics.
WHAT TO REMEMBER.
That’s a lot of percentages, so here’s some high-level conclusions BDS supplied:
1. Overall, 60%-70% of consumers have not changed consumption habits since recreational marijuana became legal.
2. 20%-30% of consumers have decreased alcohol consumption because of use. Though, BDS says they could be light alcohol consumers to start with, or simply aging out of alcohol consumption.
3. 6% of cannabis users pair it with alcohol often, and drink less as a result.