William Sumner
2017 was a big year for women. Between powerful movements like #MeToo or the Women’s March in Washington DC, millions of women across the country have discovered a newfound empowerment unlike anything ever seen before; and there is no place where that is more evident than in the cannabis industry.
Although the cannabis industry has traditionally skewed male, both in terms of executive leadership and consumer spending, a new report by the cannabis technology company Eaze, which analyzed the consumer habits of over 15,000 survey respondents and 350,000 cannabis consumers in the state of California, has found that women are one of the fastest growing consumer groups in the industry.
In the fourth and final part of our series, Analyzing Eaze Insights 2017, Green Market Report will examine the growing power of women as consumers in the cannabis industry. If you missed any of the previous parts, you can catch up by clicking here: Part One, Part Two, Part Three.
When examining the difference between male and female consumers, Eaze found that women generally prefer cannabis products that meet a variety of health and wellness needs, while men tended to prefer cannabis products that delivered potent efficiency.
For example, the top three cannabis products Eaze sold with the highest ratio of female or male were:
Female
- Om Lavender Bath Soak
- Select CBD Lavender All-in-One
- Rose OG Headwaters Flower
Male
- Pax Era Jack Herer Bloom Farms
- Silver Label Banana Dream Concentrate
- Candy Jack Cake Batter Concentrate
In terms of consumer spending, women spent approximately 20% more on cannabis in 2017 compared to the previous year. Women also made up a larger portion of Eaze’s customer base, rising from 25% in 2015 to 35% in 2017.
The growth of female consumers in Eaze’s report mirror other surveys which reveal that women make up a larger percentage of cannabis consumers than previously thought. According to one survey conducted by the Cannabis Consumers Coalition, approximately 53% of women are consuming cannabis, compared to 42% of men.
Women are not also just making up a larger percentage of cannabis consumers; they’re also starting to fill more executive positions. According to one survey by Marijuana Business Daily, approximately 27% of executive-level roles in the cannabis industry are held by women; well above the national average of 23%.
Although the report does not specifically examine why women are beginning to make up a larger portion of cannabis consumers, report authors credit the growth to greater product selection as well as improvements to safety and access.
Another key component to the expansion of the cannabis industry’s growing demographics is education, according to Devika Maskey, founder of the luxury cannabis brand TSO Sonoma.
“Education is a key component to broadening the demographic spectrum for cannabis consumption. Teaching people that they can improve their overall wellness with safe and discreet ways to consume begins to open the door to new users,” Maskey said. “Coupling education with sophisticated branding is appealing to women that are looking for healthy alternatives to prescription pills or alcohol. By creating a more elevated experience we can make cannabis more approachable to a larger audience and destigmatize women and cannabis, moving away from that ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype.”
