Cannabis and the Shift in Consumer Trends

 

As cannabis consumption rises, the industry must adapt in order to keep up with consumer demands - this includes shifting towards products like beverages and edibles that satisfy those demands.

In 2022, sales for tincture, topical, capsules and vape products saw a substantial decline while beverage, edibles and vape products experienced a marked increase, reflecting how younger individuals have increasingly taken to using cannabis instead of alcohol to consume cannabis products.

Product Categories

Consumption of cannabis comes in many forms. Flowers remain the top seller in dispensaries, but there has been an increase in sales of edibles and concentrates.

Edibles are food or drinks infused with cannabis extract through decarboxylation, a chemical process which changes cannabinoids and terpenes into more active forms. Edibles come in many different forms such as cookies, gummies, chocolates and even coffee or tea beverages.

Concentrates are extracts derived from raw cannabis plant material that contain high concentrations of cannabinoids while low levels of lipids that hold these compounds together. Some concentrates are full spectrum, maintaining the original cannabinoid and terpene profiles present in raw plant. Other concentrates may be extracted and distilled into pure cannabinoid oils or tinctures for sublingual ingestion or added directly onto products like lotions, balms and patches for topical application.

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids Westcoast Bud  are chemical compounds found within cannabis plants. Although THC remains the best-known cannabinoid, research into other phytocannabinoids such as CBD and CBN is expanding. Studies have revealed their unique anti-anxiety and sedative effects, appetite suppression capabilities and pain relief abilities.

Consumers seeking new experiences are shifting away from strain-based preferences towards products offering varied ratios of cannabinoids and plant actives such as terpenes.

2022 witnessed a shift in consumer demand toward portable and shareable products that provide results such as stress relief or sleep support, with sales for tinctures, capsules and flower products declining while sales for infused beverages, edibles and pre-rolls rising significantly. This may be a reflection of increased consumers seeking portable solutions which provide targeted benefits like stress reduction or sleep support.

Terpenes

Terpenes play an integral part in creating the unique flavors and experiences associated with cannabis use. Terpenes are natural chemical constituents found within many plants that can be extracted. Their production typically occurs within sticky trichomes that cover buds as well as lesser amounts on leaves and stems of these same plants.

Terpenes differ from cannabinoids in that they do not cause psychoactive effects when consumed, yet still offer numerous health advantages, including anti-inflammation, antibacterial and antifungal properties as well as digestive aid and increasing levels of oxytocin to boost mood and enhance quality of life.

Terpenes have also been discovered to possess strong antiviral properties, and terpene adducts have been shown to inhibit influenza virus (Flu) replication - this finding being particularly pertinent given rising respiratory illness rates among humans.

Ratio Products

Cannabis novices may find the landscape daunting; with unfamiliar strain names and shelves filled with products from every corner of the market. Smoking equipment that appears expensive may also be an overwhelming factor.

Cannabis is a flowering plant with broad leaves that are palmately compound or digitate and serrate with one leaflet per pair of leaves. The buds on cannabis have an ivory hue with light pink or orange pistils containing psychoactive chemicals which produce its psychoactive effect.

Cannabis interacts with receptors within your body known as the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), which controls everything from sleep and appetite to pain and motor control. THC in cannabis binds with these receptors and produces effects like euphoria and increased appetite; CBD can counteract some of these adverse side effects and is increasingly popular due to allowing users to fine-tune their experience and many marijuana sellers predict hemp-only products will become widely sold when industrial hemp becomes legal.