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The social stigmas against cannabis have declined so much that most stoners are down to get high with their grandparents, according to a new survey published by cannabis edibles company Azuca.
Azuca’s new “Americans and Cannabis Consumption Survey” reports that 60 percent of adult pot users said that they would be willing to smoke weed with a grandparent. Kim Sanchez Rael, the company’s CEO and president, told Forbes that this finding “confirms that the long-standing stigma is lifting. Normalization is good news not only for cannabis users, but the industry as a whole, as we work to create solutions for cannabis consumers of all ages and preferences.”
Even five years ago, the idea that a young weed lover could share a joint with their elders seemed like a pipe dream. But as legalization spreads throughout the country, a growing number of senior citizens are embracing the medicinal properties of cannabis. A recent NYU study reports that weed use among adults over the age of 65 has increased by 75 percent since 2015, and a Gallup poll from this year found that the percentage of adults over 75 who have tried pot has doubled over the past two decades.
Using online polling service Survey Monkey, Azuca surveyed a total of 1,089 Americans of varying ages, geographic locations, and income levels. Out of all participants, over half identified themselves as cannabis users. About two-thirds of these pot-using respondents (64 percent) said that they got high to relax, while 43 percent said that they used weed as a sleep aid. Roughly 40 percent of participants reported that they used cannabis for pain management, health and wellness, or purely for recreation.
The survey also asked participants to answer a variety of questions regarding their cannabis consumption, preferences, and knowledge. Over two-thirds of respondents (70 percent) said that they knew the difference between THC and CBD, and 58 percent said that they believed that cannabis is the future of pain management. And about a third of participants agreed that it was totally acceptable to use weed during work hours.
As an edibles company, Azuca was especially interested in whether or not the average pot consumer prefers to eat cannabis or to smoke it. Just over half (52 percent) said that they would rather eat a gummy than smoke or vape, and 30 percent said that they preferred to eat infused chocolates or other edibles. Only 39 percent of respondents said they preferred to smoke weed, and only 22 percent said they preferred to vape.
Fifty-three percent of cannabis users also said that they increased their consumption of edibles during the pandemic. Sales reports from California, Washington, and Colorado confirm this finding, showing a spike in edibles sales and a decrease in sales of pre-rolls when the pandemic began. Azuca’s survey also reports that 54 percent of cannabis users wished that edibles would kick in faster, and 62 percent said they preferred edibles that do not have a strong flavor of cannabis.
In a press release, Rael said that the survey confirms that “edibles are the future of the cannabis industry. The survey also reveals there is still a need to educate Americans about cannabis. While consumer demand is growing exponentially, now is the time to bring sophisticated and approachable products to market that people can trust.”
