Cannabis Consumer Trends for 2025

Cannabis companies have been through a lot in the last few years. From a pandemic surge for consumer cannabis products to shaky consumer confidence and on-again/off-again promises about deregulation that would ease the massive financial burden cannabis companies face. But even with this, cannabis companies have opportunities ahead of them, no matter what happens in the upcoming years? Why? There are very few cannabis brands treating the consumer the way the consumer expects to be treated, and there are even fewer cannabis brands who are leading, most importantly. Heading to a new cannabis era, what do cannabis companies need to know, and what consumer trends for 2025 are important for cannabis PR?

 

The Rise of Women in Cannabis Consumption

Women are the fastest-growing cannabis consumers –YouGov

One of the most significant cannabis consumer demographic shifts we’ve seen is the real evolution in the way women view cannabis. The Cannamom movement continues, as does the Calisober movement, which appeals to female consumers. Now that women have embraced cannabis use, in particular for sleep, pain, and stress, it’s more important than ever that cannabis brands understand this demographic not so much as a cannabis trend for consumers in 2025 but over the next decade because of the growth potential. I don’t personally see the trend for high-THC cannabis products, the women entering the cannabis market are seeing cannabis use as part of a lifestyle rather than part of an identity, meaning they are less attracted to high THC just for the sake of high THC; they don’t see it as an added benefit for THC’s sake. It’s more important than ever that cannabis brands use storytelling to create an alliance with their female customers. I see this as especially essential if the cannabis brand is a premium price point because 70% of women report that price is their differentiator. But we know women will splurge on luxury wellness goods, so the differentiation HAS to be trust-driven branding and storytelling. Cannabis brands that embrace this reality will more easily move into the daily lives of this emerging group of cannabis consumers. The winners in the women cannabis market growth competition will be deeply, consistently engaged with their customers’ day to day lives instead, and be where they are, whether that’s Instagram or in publications they trust. 

Brand Ethics and Millennial Market Share

73% of millennials will spend more on brands that align with their ethics and social causes –iposos.com

This is really relevant since millennials and GenX make up 68% of US cannabis sales. I understand that purpose-driven initiatives pose a challenge for cannabis brands, as industry trends may not resonate with all consumers. For example, there is a movement within cannabis for cannabis expungement. This goodwill initiative is one that I believe the industry at large should support. But, your consumer may or may not consider that their ideal cause. Selecting purpose-driven initiatives isn’t just about choosing a nonprofit to align with; they’re deeply rooted in understanding your cannabis brand through data and authenticity. Before selecting a movement or cause, I always recommend some deep dives into consumer data; we use a combination of digital data and AI to create a deeper understanding of solid initiatives. 

In 2023, Wyld released an Impact Report, documenting their environmentally conscious efforts and commitments to improve. But as far as I know, there was no update in 2024, which is too bad because for all the work that went into that purpose-driven initiative, without consistency, there’s a whiff of greenwashing in the air. Also, issuing a report isn’t consumer-focused. While the report provides the data, for the consumer to care, the brand needs to activate in a way that consumers care about – that’s what it means to meet consumers where they are. Still, millennial cannabis preferences will require that cannabis brands engage in this conversation. I feel that this extra step is the piece I see a lot of cannabis brands missing. This is such an important cannabis trend for consumers in 2025 – that is, take it the extra mile to reach the consumer.

Building Trust in the Cannabis Industry

61% of people say business leaders are purposely trying to mislead people-2024 Edelman Trust Barometer

While this is a disheartening statistic, it provides an enormous window of opportunity for cannabis companies to lead, especially with women and those who have come to age with cannabis use like millennials and GenZ.

Wana edibles get the importance of trust, even going so far as to claim they are the most trusted cannabis brand in a recent press release. While there’s no reason to DISTRUST Wana, there’s no evidence backing up their claim, but that would be an easy and powerful thing to do. Imagine having legitimate data that says your cannabis brand is the most trusted in the country. It’s a very real opportunity for some enterprising cannabis brand; embracing PR as part of the consumer funnel is critical to building trust. It would be good to see Wana take the lead on cannabis industry do-gooding, they have a lot of goodwill within the industry, and presumably, as a top selling brand, with consumers too. Meanwhile, brands like Stizzy are doing everything they can to erode consumer trust in the cannabis industry.

Because of bad actors, the trust bar is very low, so brands can start with the basics to improve trust. Trust initiatives can be cross-functional, from cannabis PR to cannabis products; there are so many ways brands can work towards trust with consumers and one another. Being a trustworthy company has real bottom-line benefits, not just intangible ones. For example, if you are a brand known to pay your bills, maybe you can negotiate from a stronger position on products and services and save money. The other advantage of implementing this cannabis trend for consumers in 2025 is that it puts you ahead of the curve; catching up on trust initiatives in PR and marketing is expensive; from an ROI standpoint, starting small and building makes trust initiatives much more palatable. Trust will also be key in B2B relationships, making cannabis tradeshows more important than ever.

 

The CaliSober Movement and Market Evolution

33% of those 21-24 prefer cannabis/CBD products (over alcohol)-drinkcq.com

2024 was the first year where cannabis use outpaced alcohol consumption. We celebrated that stat and saw firsthand how customers who embraced this growing segment and CaliSober trend excelled at product penetration. Cannabis brands can take a lot of cues from alcohol in terms of marketing and branding. I think WhiteClaw seltzers is a great case study for cannabis companies. When White Claw entered the market, one of their most interesting choices was gender-neutral marketing. The reason I find this interesting is because especially with consumables, there has always been a clear differentiation in the way alcohol brands reach each segment. But WhiteClaw understands that if you really get into the consumer’s persona, you don’t need to make it about gender at all. As their SVP of marketing said, “everyone hangs out together all the time,”

Scientific Authority and Consumer Education

74% of people trust scientists to tell the truth about new innovations and technologies.-2024 Edelman Trust Barometer

Again, I believe this is another great opportunity for emerging industry cannabis brands . More and more, cannabis brands are barely different from other consumer CPGs in the minds of consumers. When I first got involved in the cannabis industry in 2014, my client was a CBD up-and-comer who eventually became one of the top three-selling CBD brands. A key to their early success was hiring and activating a trusted authority: a doctor. While we’ve come a long way in educating cannabis consumers, there’s still a huge untapped market. While education today should look different from what it looked like in 2014 (never mind blog posts with health claims, Google will punish you), and no one will read them, focus on leveraging media in its most trusted form: PR. And use media’s full force in creative ways because consumers anticipate a recession, which may make them feel more adventurous in the coming years.

 

Navigating Consumer Choice Paralysis

64% of Consumers Feel Overwhelmed by Choice -Waitrose

It’s a paradox; consumers want choice, but they’re easily overwhelmed. There are two things ambitious cannabis brands can do to overcome this: define their audience exceptionally clearly, make everything about the consumer, and meet them where they’re at. This requires a bi-directional marketing approach to both dispensaries and consumers directly. The other option is to narrow down on products specifically. Forget expanding into different formats; make the best of one thing, but do it innovatively, like limited or seasonal items or collabs. Cannabis trends for consumers in 2025 will require brands to be identifiable and relatable to stand out, and increasingly, I see this as being a requirement for getting shelf space in dispensaries, especially in markets like California, where the dispensaries are severely limited.

According to Neilson, women consumers are more likely to do research on brands before purchasing, not only that, but they rely on one another as well as magazines to help them narrow their choices. So it’s important for cannabis brands with female consumers to take their PR very seriously.

I see cannabis trends for consumers in 2025 requiring that cannabis brands act more and more like other CPG brands and position themselves as exceptionally prepared for deregulation when competitors strongly engage in cannabis PR and marketing and it will be noisier. Join our cannabis industry discussion by subscribing to our occasional but relevant newsletters. Or, if you’d like more personalized data for your cannabis brand, contact us to start your customized Fingerprint Strategy.