20 Statistics Defining Cannabis Consumer and Wellness Trends 2026

Data-backed analysis of cannabis participation, wellness perceptions, generational spending, product-format growth, and consumer interests shaping the regulated market in 2026

Cannabis has become part of mainstream consumer behavior, but the market is not defined by one customer profile or reason for use. Participation ranges from occasional experimentation to regular adult consumption, while purchasing patterns vary by generation, product category, location, and legal market.

Wellness perceptions also influence how consumers think about cannabis, CBD, beverages, edibles, and self-care products. These attitudes provide useful audience insight, but they do not prove that a cannabis product delivers a specific medical or therapeutic outcome.

The following statistics combine current consumer surveys, public-opinion research, licensed retail transactions, and one clearly identified medical-use survey. Together, they show how participation, access, lifestyle interests, demographic preferences, and product innovation are shaping the cannabis market.

Key Takeaways

• Cannabis participation is widespread: The 2025 cannabis consumer study found that 31% of U.S. adults had consumed cannabis within the previous six months
• Legalization support remains broad: The 2026 marijuana public opinion data shows that 88% of U.S. adults support legal marijuana in at least some form
• Wellness perceptions influence demand: The cannabis wellness perception data shows that 73% of U.S. adults believe cannabis has many health benefits
• Millennials lead tracked spending: The 2026 cannabis demographic data places Millennials at 42.8% of tracked U.S. cannabis spending
• Pre-rolls continue gaining share: The 2026 pre-roll category report shows that pre-rolls reached 15.9% of tracked U.S. cannabis sales in the first quarter of 2026

Cannabis Participation, Access, and Legalization

1. Thirty-one percent consumed cannabis within six months

The national cannabis consumer study found that 31% of U.S. adults had consumed cannabis during the previous six months.

This measurement is broader than past-month use and may include both occasional and frequent consumers. It indicates that cannabis purchasing, education, and media audiences extend beyond a small group of highly engaged customers.

Brands should still distinguish between recent participation, purchase frequency, product interest, and actual customer value rather than treating every past-six-month consumer as the same audience.

2. Fifty-one percent have used marijuana during their lifetime

The 2026 marijuana facts report states that 51% of U.S. adults have personally used marijuana at least once. The figure comes from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Lifetime experience is not the same as current consumption or purchase intent. Some respondents may be active customers, while others may have used marijuana once or stopped consuming years ago. The statistic is most useful as an indicator of broad familiarity rather than current market participation.

3. Twenty-three percent used marijuana during the previous year

According to the 2026 marijuana use data, 23% of U.S. adults reported marijuana use during the previous year in 2024.

Past-year use captures a broader population than past-month use. It may include occasional consumers, medical users, seasonal purchasers, and people who consume only during particular social or lifestyle occasions. Brands should avoid assuming that all past-year users purchase through licensed retailers or participate with the same frequency.

4. Sixteen percent used marijuana during the previous month

The same national marijuana use research found that 16% of U.S. adults had used marijuana during the previous month in 2024.

This is a national population statistic rather than licensed-dispensary transaction data. It does not show where products were obtained, whether use was medical or nonmedical, or how often each respondent consumed marijuana. The figure provides context for recent participation but should not be treated as a direct estimate of legal-market customers.

5. Seventy-nine percent have a dispensary in their county

A national dispensary access analysis found that 79% of Americans lived in a county with at least one marijuana dispensary. The 2024 geographic analysis identified nearly 15,000 dispensaries nationwide.

Greater access increases competition among retailers and brands. Availability alone may no longer provide a strong advantage in established markets. Dispensaries increasingly need accurate local listings, search visibility, usable menus, clear product information, customer retention, and differentiated retail experiences.

6. Eighty-eight percent support legal marijuana in some form

The 2026 legalization opinion survey found that 55% of U.S. adults support legal marijuana for both medical and recreational use. Another 33% support medical use only.

Together, 88% support legalization in at least some form, while 11% believe marijuana should not be legal. Broad support does not mean consumers agree on public consumption, advertising rules, product standards, retail locations, or age requirements. Cannabis companies must still adapt their operations and messaging to each jurisdiction.

Wellness Perceptions and Lifestyle Interests

7. Seventy-three percent believe cannabis has health benefits

The cannabis health perception study found that 73% of U.S. adults believe cannabis has many health benefits.

This statistic measures consumer opinion rather than clinical effectiveness. It does not establish that cannabis or a particular product treats pain, anxiety, sleep problems, stress, or another condition. Brands should not turn broad consumer beliefs into unsupported medical claims. Health-related language should be based on appropriate evidence and reviewed before publication.

8. Sixty-seven percent associate cannabis with mind and body wellness

The cannabis wellness perception study found that 67% of U.S. adults believe cannabis is good for both the mind and body. The same percentage viewed CBD as beneficial for health and beauty.

These attitudes help explain why cannabis and CBD products appear frequently in wellness and self-care conversations. Marketing should still separate lifestyle positioning from validated medical outcomes. Different products, cannabinoids, doses, and consumption methods should not be presented as producing identical effects.

9. Sixty-one percent view cannabis as healthier than alcohol

The cannabis alcohol comparison data shows that 61% of U.S. adults consider cannabis a healthier alternative to alcohol.

This is a comparative perception rather than a universal medical conclusion. The risks associated with either substance depend on the individual, product, dose, consumption method, frequency, age, health history, and whether multiple substances are combined. Brands may discuss changing consumer preferences, but they should avoid presenting this survey response as clinical proof of relative safety.

10. Fifty-four percent are interested in cannabis-friendly tourism

The cannabis tourism interest data found that 54% of U.S. adults are interested in cannabis-friendly tourism experiences.

This suggests that cannabis interest can extend beyond product purchases into travel, hospitality, events, education, and destination experiences. Actual commercial opportunities remain dependent on state and local rules governing consumption, transportation, lodging, event operations, and advertising. Interest alone does not establish legal availability.

11. Fifty-four percent want cannabis-infused food and beverage experiences

The cannabis food beverage interest data shows that 54% of U.S. adults are interested in trying cannabis-infused food and beverage experiences.

Consumer interest does not automatically translate into legal access or completed purchases. Availability differs substantially by state, product type, venue, and serving format. Brands need clear communication about cannabinoid content, serving size, expected onset, availability, age restrictions, and responsible consumption without making unsupported health promises.

12. Forty-five percent are interested in cannabis self-care products

The cannabis self-care interest data found that 45% of U.S. adults are interested in cannabis-related self-care products.

This area may include topicals, bath products, beauty products, and other wellness-positioned formats. Interest in self-care does not prove that a product treats a medical condition. Content should focus on verified ingredients, product characteristics, use instructions, customer experience, and claims that are appropriate for the category.

Generational Spending and Product Preferences

13. Millennials account for 42.8% of cannabis spending

The 2026 cannabis consumer demographics show that Millennials generated 42.8% of tracked U.S. cannabis spending during the 12 months ending June 2026.

They represented the largest spending generation in Headset’s point-of-sale data, followed by Generation X at 23.5%, Generation Z at 21.2%, and Baby Boomers at 12.6%. These figures represent shares of dollar sales rather than the percentage of people who consume cannabis. Brands should segment further by market, category, shopping behavior, purchase frequency, and customer value.

14. Generation Z reached 21.2% of cannabis spending

The Generation Z cannabis spending share reached 21.2% during the 12 months ending June 2026. That was up from 18.2% two years earlier.

The change partly reflects more members of Generation Z reaching legal purchasing age. It does not remove the need for strict age-aware marketing and customer verification. Brands should avoid creative, language, packaging, or promotional tactics that may appeal to minors even when targeting younger legal-age adults.

15. Vapor pens represent 38.2% of Generation Z spending

The Generation Z product preferences data shows that vapor pens account for 38.2% of the generation’s tracked cannabis spending.

Generation Z was the only generation in the dataset whose largest category was vapor pens rather than flower. The preference may reflect portability, convenience, familiarity, pricing, or product availability. Brands should confirm whether the national pattern holds within their own state, retailer network, and customer base.

16. Baby Boomers allocate 20.2% of spending to edibles

The Baby Boomer edible spending share reached 20.2%. By comparison, Generation Z allocated 6.6% of its tracked cannabis spending to edibles.

The difference illustrates why product education and merchandising should account for customer behavior rather than relying on one universal retail experience. Older customers may need different navigation, product explanations, serving information, and support than younger customers who allocate more spending to vapor pens and concentrates.

Product-Format Growth and Medical Consumer Experience

17. Pre-rolls reached 15.9% of U.S. cannabis sales

The 2026 pre-roll market report found that pre-rolls represented 15.9% of tracked U.S. cannabis sales in the first quarter of 2026.

The category increased 9.8% year over year and was the only major inhalable category consistently gaining share across the markets studied. Flower and vapor pens remained larger U.S. categories. Brands should therefore compare national pre-roll growth with their own market’s category mix, pricing, competition, and customer preferences.

18. Infused products represent 48.5% of pre-roll sales

The infused pre-roll sales data shows that infused and connoisseur products accounted for 48.5% of tracked U.S. pre-roll sales.

The figure shows that pre-roll demand is not limited to traditional single-strain products. Infused products can differ substantially in cannabinoid content, potency, ingredients, price, and intended customer experience. Those distinctions should be communicated clearly through packaging, menus, educational content, and responsible-use information.

19. California cannabis beverage sales increased 5.9%

The California cannabis market trends show that beverage sales increased 5.9% year over year in May 2026. Unit sales increased 7.9% during the same period.

Beverages remain a relatively small cannabis category, so percentage growth should be interpreted alongside total revenue, unit volume, and market share. The result nevertheless shows continuing interest in consumption formats and occasions beyond traditional inhalable products.

20. Ninety-one percent of surveyed veterans reported improved quality of life

The veteran medical cannabis survey included 510 U.S. military veterans who used medicinal cannabis. Of those participants, 463, or 91%, reported that cannabis helped them experience a greater quality of life.

The anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2019 and published in 2023. Its participants were already medicinal cannabis users, so the findings should not be generalized to all veterans or adults. The study relied on self-reported experiences and did not clinically verify the outcomes or establish that cannabis caused the perceived improvement. It should not be used as proof that a consumer product treats a medical condition.

How Cannabis Brands Should Respond to These Trends

The statistics show a broad but highly segmented cannabis audience. Participation is widespread, yet motivations, spending, product preferences, and customer behavior differ across generations, markets, and product categories.

Cannabis brands should prioritize:

• Responsible wellness positioning: Treat consumer attitudes as perceptions rather than clinical evidence
• Audience segmentation: Develop distinct content, email, product, and retail experiences for different customer groups
• Product education: Explain formats, ingredients, cannabinoid content, serving information, onset, and responsible use clearly
• Market-level analysis: Compare national trends with local laws, retailer data, prices, category performance, and customer behavior
• Age-aware marketing: Design campaigns for legal adult audiences without creative that may appeal to minors
• First-party audience development: Use permission-based customer information to understand preferences and support retention
• Commercial measurement: Connect campaigns with product engagement, email growth, purchases, repeat orders, and customer value

Wellness-oriented marketing should remain grounded in what a product can legally and accurately communicate. Brands can discuss verified characteristics, consumer interests, product formats, and market preferences without turning survey findings into treatment claims.

How Herb Agency Supports Cannabis Consumer Marketing

Herb Agency provides cannabis marketing services across SEO, email, paid media, first-party data, editorial content, social strategy, creative production, direct mail, customer reactivation, and analytics.

Its full-funnel growth strategy connects audience research, education, acquisition, conversion, and retention rather than treating each channel as an isolated campaign.

This approach can help cannabis brands communicate with different customer segments while navigating product, platform, and geographic restrictions.

Build Search Visibility and Education

Herb Agency connects SEO content and analytics with organic discovery, product education, local visibility, and customer questions.

Educational content can help customers compare formats, understand product characteristics, locate retailers, and make informed purchasing decisions. Claims should remain accurate and appropriate for the product.

Herb Editorial and Herb Social add content creation and distribution through Herb’s media and social ecosystem.

Develop Permission-Based Audiences

Herb Mail can identify website visitors and support consent-based audience development.

Qualifying contacts can enter email programs for product education, segmentation, launches, cart recovery, loyalty, and repeat purchasing.

Herb Reactivate helps update undeliverable contact records where new information is available, allowing brands to reconnect with customers they may otherwise lose.

Connect Acquisition With Measurement

Herb Paid Media supports campaigns across eligible search, social, programmatic, X, and other digital channels.

Herb Dashboard allows brands to review performance metrics across audience growth, email engagement, clicks, campaign activity, and placed-order value.

This helps brands move beyond reach and impressions to evaluate how marketing activity contributes to customer actions and commercial outcomes.

Review Published Campaign Results

Herb Agency reports that the DynaVap email acquisition results included 52,714 contacts collected, a 51.71% open rate, a 22.32% click rate, a 2.5% email conversion rate, and more than $500,000 in influenced placed orders.

The Sunmed email campaign results included a 52.86% 30-day open rate, a 7.65% click rate, and $55,695 in placed-order value from Herb Mail contacts.

The PAX email reactivation results included 7,989 reactivated addresses from 20,579 cold email records, a 10.95% click rate, and more than $100,000 in placed-order value.

These are Herb Agency-reported campaign outcomes rather than independent cannabis consumer benchmarks. They illustrate how education, audience development, email engagement, reactivation, and performance reporting can work together in a regulated category.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cannabis consumer trend matters most in 2026?

One of the most important trends is the increasing diversity of the cannabis audience. Customers differ by age, market access, product preference, consumption frequency, and interest in wellness or lifestyle experiences. Brands should avoid developing strategies around one stereotypical consumer. Market-level data and behavioral segmentation provide a more useful foundation.

How should cannabis brands use wellness positioning responsibly?

Brands should describe consumer interests and verified product characteristics without promising medical outcomes. A survey showing that consumers associate cannabis with wellness does not prove that a specific product treats pain, anxiety, insomnia, or another condition. Health-related claims should receive appropriate legal and compliance review. Educational content should distinguish customer perceptions from established evidence.

Which cannabis product formats are gaining attention?

Pre-rolls continue gaining U.S. market share, while cannabis beverages are growing in some markets from a smaller base. Product performance varies by state, demographic group, price, and retail availability. Generation Z allocates a larger share of spending to vapor pens, while Baby Boomers allocate more to edibles. Brands should review local transaction data before expanding a product line.

How should generational data influence cannabis marketing?

Generational statistics can inform product assortment, customer education, content, and channel planning. They should not be used as fixed assumptions about every person within an age group. Purchase history, market, product interest, and lifecycle stage often provide more actionable segmentation. Herb Agency connects audience strategy with content, email, paid media, and analytics.

Why is first-party data important for cannabis brands?

First-party data helps brands understand what customers browse, purchase, engage with, and return to buy. It can support more relevant communication when collected transparently and with appropriate permission. This is especially valuable when conventional targeting and retargeting options are limited. Herb Mail, Herb Reactivate, and Herb Dashboard support audience development, re-engagement, and measurement.