Cannabidiol (CBD) products are becoming ubiquitous: from the gummies at customers’ local c-store to the CBD-laced peanut butter they considered buying online for their pets. It’s an increasingly prevalent trend that has wafted into dozens of industries and grown abundantly on retail shelves and online storefronts alike.
In fact, in a recent CivicScience study of more than 40,000 Americans 21 and older, 34% of respondents said they have had some experience with various CBD products, and 15% intend to give them a try soon, totaling nearly half of the of-age general population.
More detailed data indicate a correlation between recent stress and CBD experience. Over the past three months, people who shared they were somewhat or very concerned about the continued spread of the Delta variant are much more likely to be users and intenders of CBD products.
General reports of stress and worry painted an interesting picture of where cannabidiols stand despite the number of infused products available. Respondents who indicated they felt “very strongly” stressed or “very strongly” worried in the past three months were much more likely than people who were less stressed and worried to have used CBD products and been satisfied with them.
At the same time, both segments of highly stressed and highly worried individuals reported an equal or greater percentage of dissatisfied users as satisfied users. Are cannabidiols living up to their described calming effect?
Product Type
Perhaps it’s the type of product users and intenders are gravitating toward that leads to more or less satisfaction.
Edibles are currently the favorite way to consume CBD for all age groups. Millennials and of-age Gen Zers — those with the greatest amount of satisfaction, dissatisfaction and intent to try CBD in general — show significantly more interest in CBD vaping products when compared to older age groups.
Meanwhile, CBD skincare and other beauty products are relatively new to the market compared to other established products. Among people who use skincare and beauty products, more than one-third (33%) are at least somewhat interested in ones that contain CBD.
CBD beverages are another up-and-coming trend to watch. Both CBD beverages (with little to no THC) and cannabis beverages (with significant levels of THC) share similar levels of consumer experience, though THC-containing drinks have a slightly higher percentage of consumers interested in giving them a try.
As with other cannabis trends, the general appeal of these drink types sits largely with consumers under 35, but the youthful tendency shifts when it comes to level of psychoactivity — people over 35 are much more willing to try drinks that contain THC vs. CBD drinks
C-Store Consumers
State-by-state laws differ as to where you can buy CBD and how old you have to be to do so, but as the data show, 16% of respondents 21 and older have bought CBD products in convenience stores, while another 11% plan to at some point.
As previously stated, age is a significant factor. The data continually show that purchasing CBD at convenience stores is largely driven by millennials and of-age Gen Zers, 43% of whom have bought, or plan to buy, CBD at convenience stores.
When asked, “How popular do you think CBD products will become in the next few years?” 43% said use will be prevalent (many people will use them).
With a diversity of CBD products available, it’s no surprise that many believe that the general popularity of CBD is only on the rise. CSD
Zack Butovich is an engagement writing specialist for CivicScience, which provides strategic insight services to decision-makers at the largest brands, media companies and investment firms in the world while giving consumers a trusted, convenient way to affect change. Through a proprietary polling and analytics platform, CivicScience studies consumers and markets across thousands of dimensions, from macro forces to brand-specific trends, and how they relate. CivicScience helps companies make winning bets on the future, hone go-to-market strategy and reduce marketing waste.