Survey: 76% of North Americans Would Try a Medical Marijuana Product

A survey into American and Canadian consumers’ attitudes toward legalized marijuana revealed that 76% would try medicinal marijuana products and about half would try marijuana-enhanced consumer products such as snack foods (55%), nutritional supplements (50%) and cosmetics (43%).

The survey, by global consulting firm A.T. Kearney, of 2,000 North American consumers’ attitudes toward marijuana-related products also discovered that over half of respondents were willing to try recreational marijuana when, or if, it becomes legal.

Kearney found that health, wellness, beauty and personal care companies introducing products with marijuana ingredients should see an improvement in public perception—overall, more than 85% of respondents said they would have an improved or neutral perception of their favorite brand if it were to launch a product containing marijuana.

“The survey clearly demonstrates the viability of the market for cannabis across multiple consumer segments – CPGs and retailers focused on health and wellness, snacking, functional food and beverage, and beverage alcohol need to have a perspective on how they will approach the cannabis opportunity,” said Randy Burt of A.T. Kearney.

While a strong majority (79%) of consumers surveyed believe the marijuana products have therapeutic properties, they want to be able to trust the companies bringing them to market. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. and Canadian respondents (73% and 71%, respectively) indicated that the brand was very or somewhat important in assessing the quality and safety of products derived from, or infused with, marijuana.

When asked, “How would you perceive your favorite brand if they launched a product containing marijuana?,” 86% of American and 84% of Canadian respondents indicated their perceptions would be improved or would not change; 49% said they would buy more frequently from brands offering marijuana products; 46% would feel more loyal to those brands; 36% felt that the brands would better represent their values; and 42% would see brands bringing marijuana products to market as “innovative or trendy.”