The majority of cannabis consumers are novices with little knowledge of cannabis, and more than half of them only tried marijuana for the first time in the past year, according to the findings of a new survey.
These findings were part of the first-ever “4/20 Cannabis Insights Poll” published by the multi-state cannabis operator Jushi Holdings Inc on Monday.
The poll paints an interesting picture of cannabis consumers, who appear, for the most part, not to be experts on cannabis or heavy users interested purely in a good time.
According to the poll, “medical use” was the top reason given for using cannabis (31.4%), followed by stress (22.4%) and general wellness (17.5%). “Recreation” came in fourth (15.9%).
Of the respondents, the highest percentage (30.7%) said they consume cannabis only 1 to 2 times a week. 28.1% said they are daily users, 17.5% said they use cannabis 5 to 6 days a week, and nearly a quarter said three to four days a week.
Among respondents who don’t consume cannabis, medicine was the top reason they would consider trying it (26.1%). And if they were to try cannabis, more respondents (32.7%) said they would prefer edibles over any other method, including by a wide margin over smoking (17.6%).
Over the past month, a total of 1,100 people across the United States took part in the online poll carried out by the independent market-research provider Pollfish. Only 42.45% of the respondents live in states with legal recreational and medical cannabis, while 21.82% stated that they live in states where neither is legal. Nonetheless, 66% said they are currently consuming cannabis legally purchased at a dispensary or have in the past.
But beyond personal user preferences, the survey also provides an interesting perspective on cannabis policies.
The poll found that 61% of respondents would be more likely to support pro-legalization politicians. More than 60% believe that legal cannabis has an important role in boosting the national and local economies across the country. In addition, 56.6% stated that cannabis creates “high-quality jobs” for Americans, and 67.6% believe that federal banking restrictions on cannabis companies should be canceled.
Perhaps more directly, 59% of respondents said they believe cannabis has an overall positive impact on society.
According to Jim Cacioppo, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, and Founder of Jushi, “with the majority of Americans now living in a state with a medical or adult-use program, misconceptions around cannabis are being shed. The latest data clearly shows that more people are embracing cannabis in their lives and seeing its value in their communities. This poll shows views on the plant and legalization are trending in a positive direction, and we believe this trajectory will only strengthen in the coming years.”
To a certain extent, the survey findings resemble those of a Gallup poll survey published in November 2021. The poll found that support for legal marijuana has reached a record high of 68% among the 823 respondents. The poll found that 83% of Democrats and 71% of independents support legalization, as opposed to only 50% of Republicans.
