Medical cannabis users buy more, recreational consumers buy more often

While recreational marijuana sales generally outpace those of medical cannabis in states that are home to both options for consumers, there are a number of key differences among customer demographics in the two arenas, according to a survey published this month by New Frontier Data.

The survey, which polled almost 4,000 marijuana users on their cannabis use and spending habits, found that those who use cannabis for medical purposes alone are typically the most loyal customers and spend far more than the average recreational user.

The primary takeaway from the survey, New Frontier wrote, is that cannabis brands and retailers need to get to know their audiences better in order to reach the demographics they’re aiming for.

“Understanding the motivations of your customers and how these motivations impact consumption and sourcing decisions is crucial for developing targeted messaging and creating products that match the target audience,” the report stated.

“Consumers who use for only recreational purposes are the most likely to obtain their cannabis for free and the most likely to spend under $50 when they do buy cannabis,” the report stated. “Those who use for medical purposes only are the most likely to spend $400+ when they purchase cannabis.”

That’s not to suggest that all marijuana users fall into just two buckets, however. According to New Frontier’s data, consumers who reported using for both medical and recreational purposes are by far the “most frequent” consumers – about half of which consume daily – with the lowest consumption rates found among those who use marijuana solely as a recreational drug – only 30% consume daily.

Medical marijuana patients were also far more likely to purchase their goods from a single source, while recreational buyers are more likely to shop around, the report found.

A whopping 70% of medical-only marijuana users reported always purchasing from the same source, while 51% of recreational-only users said the same.

“This reflects the need of medical consumers to have consistent access to the same products,” the report asserted.

Not just that, but product perception and the impacts of cannabis in consumers’ lives also was noticeably different between medical and recreational users, the report found. Although 70% of recreational-only users reported a positive impact of marijuana on their lives, the number jumped to 85% for consumers who use for both medical and recreational purposes.

Recreational-only cannabis users, the report found, “were the least likely to report a positive life impact from cannabis and the most likely to report a mixed positive/negative impact or no impact at all.”