The world of marijuana is evolving. With the Farm bill of 2018, the cannabis industry has seen a rapid change in the last year. With more products, production, research, and development, cannabis firms are rapidly expanding.
This also gives rise to the availability and access to products the local consumers have. This may include cannabis tea and coffee shops, or general dispensaries. As ease of access changes, so does the audience using cannabis products.
It is very important for anyone in the cannabis industry to know their core demographics. Hence the question what is the average age of a cannabis user? And what demographic uses it the most.
The Age Disparity
Much of the market research done by those in the trade, reveals that most Cannabis is purchased between the ages ranges of 21 to 95. Yes, which also means that there isn’t a specific niche but, in fact, a mass-marketed product.
Most of the consumers are also men, showing that 68.9% of the consumers were men, while 31.1% were women. Out of the entire sample, the data also revealed the different age groups and how much of the consumer market did they make.
Currently the largest group of consumer marijuana is 25–29 years old, accounting for 20% of the market, while 21 to 24-year-olds make up 16% of the market.
There is also a different mean age for both men and women. The average for men stands at 37.4 years, while for women, it is slightly older, standing at 38.2 years.
Overall, you will find the average cannabis user to be 37.6 years old, which is fairly young in the market.
Data specifically focused in America also shows similar results. A Statista 2020 study shows how 18 to 29-year-old Americans are the most popular age group using cannabis products.
This is followed by 50 to 64-year-olds, taking 12% of the sample size. The table below dictates 4 more popular Cannabis users in America.
| Age Group | Share of the entire Sample Size |
| 18 to 29 years | 22% |
| 30 to 49 years | 11% |
| 50 to 64 years | 12% |
| 65 years and above | 3% |
How Is This Data Collected?
It is very important to know how the data is collected, to know whether or not the information is accurate. Many official statistics do not amount for illegal use, or under the age of consent. There is a chance that the numbers displayed are over or understated.
This is why it is important for people to know where the source comes from! Most of the cannabis user data come from sales registries. There is much sales data in addition to customer loyalty programs that allow researchers to gain insight into what the average cannabis user looks like.
Why Is It Important To Know Your Demographic?
Throughout the supply chain, it is very important to know your core demographic. The age-group your target makes sure that the industry evolves in a way that is the most appealing to them.
As most 25 to 29-year-old employed people use cannabis both for recreation and medical benefits, allowing producers, retailers, dispensaries, and everyone in between to develop and create better access to Cannabis.
This includes e-commerce Cannabis brands, more information available online, and ways people can access a local dispensary nearby.
Knowing specific demographics allows producers to save on time, energy, and resources to create targeted campaigns as well as appeal to their core audience.
Why Do Young People Use It The Most?
The data reveals that the most common users of cannabis are the younger group of the lot while there are some senior users; they do not take much of the market.
This also brings forth the question of why do young people use it the most? What might be some of the reasons this age group is the most popular.
To be simple, it has much to do with the ease of access. After the Farm Bill of 2018, the legalization allowed Cannabis and Marijuana products to be sold under the legal limit of 0.3% Tetrahydrocannabinol.
People can easily go to a local dispensary, CBD tea and coffee shops or order CBD oil and its byproducts online.
However, there are many other reasons as to why many younger people are opting for both medicinal benefits and recreational uses.
The key to this is awareness. There is much data online that educated people about cannabis, how to use it, what it can help with, and how it may affect your body. This allows people to try it out for themselves.
Awareness also leads to people using cannabis for managing pain, inflammation, and mood disorders. There is a lot of research and development on how cannabis is helping people and how it has evolved into one of the more popular medically beneficial compounds.
The industry calls it the ‘green gold’ for a reason! Another major reason is the affordability factor. Many young 25-year-olds are employed or do part-time jobs, which allows them to have some level of income.
Data collected by Headset shows how most people are spending an average of $25 to $50 in a Marijuana store or a dispensary.
There are many parallels that can be drawn from data from other countries as well. In Canada, 25 to 34-year-olds make 26.9% of the population, making them the most popular age group. The average popular age here is slightly higher here but similar to data shown in the states.
In Canada, 15 to 24-year-olds also have a large share of the market, giving them 20% out of the survey population.
