News Archives - Cannabiz Consumer Group

Cannabis is Quickly Becoming a Go-To Sleep Aid

So long to counting sheep. Cannabiz Consumer Group’s CannaUse™ findings reveal that both internal analgesics (otc pain medications) and sleep aids are feeling the pain of substitution effect from legal cannabis more than other OTC categories, such as cold and flu medicines. Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G) leveraged its highly successful CannaUse™ study to understand how legal cannabis impacts over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

The study found:

● Those expecting to consume legal cannabis were 25% more likely to be users of sleep aids as compared to their cannabis-uninterested counterparts;
● Half of likely cannabis consumers plan to reduce their purchases of sleep aids in the future;
● 86% of those who have used cannabis as a sleep aid stated that it worked better than their traditional OTC medication.

C2G estimates that 9.5% of OTC sleep aid sales will be cannibalized by legalized cannabis. In a national cannabis market, this would represent nearly $70MM dollars in lost sales.

“Unlike Beer, Wine, and Spirits categories in which consumers tend to switch between varieties and brands, OTC medications show less switching behavior”, states Rich Maturo, C2G’s Chief Innovation Officer. “Once an OTC product is shown to work for a consumer they tend to be loyal. As a completely new treatment regimen that offers the added benefit of mood enhancement, legal cannabis is a real threat to many OTC categories and brands and the retailers that sell them.”

About Cannabiz Consumer Group™

Cannabiz Consumer Group investigates cannabis legalization and its impact on consumer spending throughout the economy. Bringing together a diverse information set and a team with expertise in the tracking of emerging markets, data modeling, and analytics, Cannabiz Consumer Group provides insights and solutions for specific industries that must adapt to cannabis legalization. This includes over-the-counter medications, beer, wine, spirits, tobacco, other foods and beverages, retail, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and travel/tourism. Each will be impacted by consumer spending on cannabis as existing legal use markets continue evolve and new markets launch.

The metrics in this report were sourced from C2G’s CannaUse™ study on the cannabis mindset and behaviors of more than 50K individual participants, the company’s warehouse of over 55MM cannabis purchase transactions, and CPG consumer panel and point-of-sale data sourced from IRI through an exclusive data and analytic share arrangement.

For more information contact [email protected]

Cannabis legalization a factor in beer sales

Cannabiz Consumer Group’s (C2G) research findings predict that legal marijuana will “canna-balize” 7.1% of revenues from the existing retail beer industry. Those purchases will take many forms, infused beverages among them. If cannabis were legalized nationally, the beer industry would lose more than $2 billion in retail sales, predicts C2G. Twenty-seven percent (27%) of beer drinkers state that they already have substituted cannabis for beer, or would substitute their beer retail purchases with cannabis in the future if legal. Other segments of the alcohol industry including wine and spirits and on-premise sales are also being impacted as are other CPG categories, brands, and retailers.

Current Market Size

There were 24.6 million legal cannabis consumers in the US in 2016. Legalization has since extended to additional states, either through medicinal or recreational legislation or both. C2G’s projects that legal cannabis penetration will settle at a level comparable to that of beer and wine and that a fully mature market would create a new $50 billion industry.

The forecasts were generated using C2G’s CannaUse™ study on the cannabis mindset and behaviors of 40K individual participants, the company’s warehouse of over 55MM cannabis purchase transactions, and CPG consumer panel and point-of-sale data sourced from IRI through an exclusive data and analytic share arrangement.

Novelty impact not a factor for beer industry

In emerging markets a novelty impact often occurs as new users try a product simply for the experience but do not sustain its use, skewing early market predictions. Results suggest this will not be the case with legalized cannabis, as consumers tend to be more invested in the products that they are buying, including understanding the potency, strains, and formats available and uses for pain management, holistic health, and relaxation. C2G predicts the novelty impact will not be felt in the beer industry.

How to offset losses?

“Those at risk of losing sales to legalized cannabis can undertake a variety of actions to offset their losses,” according to Rich Maturo, Chief Innovation Officer. “Consumers use cannabis to satisfy various need social, medical and experiential need states. By understanding these needs, those at risk of losing sales to cannabis can try to offset some of the losses by understanding and speaking to a consumer’s needs. Unfortunately, there is no doubt that leakage will occur. Those companies that are gathering insights on cannabis and have the foresight to see it as presenting an opportunity in addition to a risk will fare much better than those who strictly take a defensive position.”

C2G Releases Huge Cannabis Consumer Study

The Study: CannaUse

CannaUse is the largest national consumer study on legal cannabis usage, market segmentation, and product substitution.

This groundbreaking study of over 55,000 people sourced respondents from the National Consumer Panel. The results tell a story of the cannabis consumer that’s far different than the “stoner” stereotype often portrayed in television and film.

What are cannabis consumers thinking?

According to CannaUse results, about 1 in 10 US adults (or 29.5 mm) have legally purchased marijuana at some point since medicinal legalization first began in California in 1996. In addition, 40% of adults in states where there are no legal recreational markets indicate they would purchase marijuana if it were legal to do so. Put another way, there are more than 90 million US adults with serious interest in a product they can only legally obtain through travel or in some cases debilitating illness.

What CannaUse Offers Businesses

29.5 million people have legally purchased cannabis.

In addition to setting benchmarks for purchase interest outside of legal markets, the data also leads to the indisputable conclusion that legal cannabis will have a rapidly growing influence on existing industries. CannaUse data, combined with other data assets and proprietary analytic models, offers intelligence on changing consumer attitudes and behaviors that impact businesses outside of the cannabis industry.

“There is no question that businesses need to understand the financial implications of legalized cannabis markets. As a result of CannaUse, companies can, for the very first time, access information that allows them to understand the impact of legal cannabis on their buyers, brands, and categories,” said Rick Maturo, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer.

For instance, C2G analysis shows dollars spent on over the counter medications are being lost as adult use cannabis markets swell. “We can tell you how legal cannabis changes spending of consumers that live within 5 minutes of your local pharmacy,” said Rick Maturo.

“CannaUse will become the standard predictive service used across industries to understand current and future implications of legal cannabis among key consumer groups,” said Leslie Townsend, CEO of Cannabiz Consumer Group. “The result is the ability to get ahead of the rapidly expanding cannabis market.”

About Cannabiz Consumer Group

Cannabiz Consumer Group investigates the impact of marijuana legalization on consumer spending throughout the economy. Bringing together a team with expertise in the tracking of emerging markets, data modeling, and predictive analytics, Cannabiz Consumer Group focuses on specific industries that must adapt quickly to cannabis legalization. This includes over-the-counter medications, beer, wine, spirits, tobacco, other foods and beverages, retail, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and travel / tourism. Each are subject to shifts in consumer spending as existing legal use markets continue evolve and new markets launch.

For more information, contact [email protected]

For press inquiries, please contact: Leslie Townsend [email protected]

Full Circle and Cannabiz Consumer Group Announce Partnership on Cannabis Consumer Omnibus Survey

Potomac, Maryland, December 6, 2016 – Full Circle Research Co. makes public today its partnership with Cannabiz Consumer Group (C2G), the research industry’s foremost experts on cannabis consumers and their ecosystems. This announcement comes on the heels of the organization’s support of C2G’s groundbreaking CannaUseTM study: the largest survey of legal cannabis consumption ever conducted in the entire United States and the first sample specifically segmented for cannabis.

The two companies will provide an omnibus, CannaBusTM, which will enable clients to ask custom questions or conduct micro-surveys to better understand issues and interests important to them without the cost of an entire custom research study.

CannaBus also delivers extensive usage segmentations for both medicinal and recreational marijuana. Full Circle’s consumer panel will be profiled for legal cannabis usage and attitudes applying C2G’s industry-standard segmentation scheme. The partnership will leverage Full Circle’s proprietary online research panel in combination with C2G’s cannabis industry and data analytics expertise. Full Circle and C2G see additional partnership offerings to be announced in the future.

“It’s an exciting time to be at the forefront of cannabis research,” said Adam Weinstein, co-CEO of Full Circle. “As acceptance continues to grow across the United States, the economic impact cannot be overstated—our clients will benefit greatly from this knowledge. Teaming with C2G was critical in understanding this population on a higher level.”

“CannaBusTM offers clients the ability to gain deep insights into how specific population groups relate to legal marijuana without conducting an extensive online study,” said Leslie Townsend, CEO of C2G. “Because Full Circle’s panelists are already profiled for marijuana attitudes and behaviors, CannaBusTM projects will field quickly while utilizing a rich data set based upon behaviors and attitudes as opposed to simple demographics.

The Full Circle and C2G partnership is uniquely positioned to provide this service.”

About Cannabiz Consumer Group

Cannabiz Consumer Group investigates the impact of marijuana legalization on consumer spending throughout the economy. Bringing together a team with expertise in the tracking of emerging markets, data modeling, and predictive analytics, Cannabiz Consumer Group focuses on specific industries that must adapt quickly to cannabis legalization. This includes over-the-counter medications, beer, wine, spirits, tobacco, other foods and beverages, retail, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and travel/tourism. Each is subject to shifts in consumer spending as existing legal use markets continue evolve and new markets launch. For more information about CannaUse^TM, contact [email protected].

About Full Circle Research Co.

Founded in 2013, Full Circle Research Co. is the first and only U.S.-based, online consumer sample provider to earn ISO 26362 certification and the only company to offer HoNoR (Holistic Next-level Research), a proven approach to quality. This unprecedented, automated marriage of advanced technology, flexible community strategies and industry-leading quality controls gives business decision-makers immediate access to the purest data in the industry. Full Circle prizes foresight, treasures agility, and pulls from 100 years of in-house research experience to deliver a deeply consultative, worthwhile experience. To learn more, visit iLoveFullCircle.com.

Costs, Co-pays and Cannabis

Cannabiz Consumer Group’s (C2G) recently released survey, CannaUse™ provides insights into legal medicinal cannabis consumers.

Cost is Key

C2G’s CannaUse™ study examined medicinal cannabis use among more than 55,000 respondents. Findings conclude that one of the major considerations in using cannabis for medicinal purposes is not just the level of relief it may provide but also the cost among treatment options for more chronic ailments.

Medicinal cannabis users less likely to have employer based health insurance, and more likely to perceive out of pocket healthcare costs as high.

Medicinal patients are 26% less likely than the overall population to have health insurance from a current or former employer or trade union.

This means that they are also more likely to be paying for insurance out of their own pocket. Even so, they are slightly more likely to currently be insured than the population as a whole, indicating that medicinal cannabis is likely to be a choice made on efficacy as well as cost.

Medicinal cannabis patients are approximately three times more likely than the overall population to be on Medicaid. This is interesting considering that Medicaid patients have low incomes and access to low-copay or free prescription medications.

Medicinal cannabis patients are 20% more likely than the population at perceive that their out-of-pocket and co-pays are “somewhat” or “very expensive.”

Health insurance does not cover medicinal marijuana, even when prescribed by a physician, used to treat a chronic condition or for end-of-life care. Thus, medicinal cannabis users must be willing to pay for it out of pocket, and frequently must seek out physicians or others who are advocates in order to obtain a prescription.

Health Insurance and Out of Pocket Costs
Medicinal Marijuana Users vs. Overall Respondent Base

Obtain insurance through …	All Respondents	Medicinal Respondents	Medicinal Index Relative to Total
Current or former employer or union	52%	38%	74
Directly from an insurance company or health marketplace (e.g., ObamaCare)	8%	9%	120
Medicare WITH Part D (prescription drug plan)	12%	14%	116
Medicare WITHOUT Part D (Prescription Drug Plan)	5%	3%	65
Medicare Advantage Plan (Private Medicare Plan)	5%	6%	109
Medicaid or other public health insurance with eligibility requirement	6%	18%	286
Veteran’s Administration	2%	3%	163
Have TRICARE or other military health care	3%	Neg.	19
Indian Health Services	Neg.	Neg.	244
Use any other type of health insurance or health coverage plan	3%	4%	139
Are uninsured	5%	4%	86
Perceive out of pocket costs as …	All Respondents	Medicinal Respondents	Medicinal Index Relative to Total
Very Expensive	11%	14%	136
Somewhat Expensive	18%	20%	110
Slightly Expensive	22%	17%	76
Slightly Inexpensive	15%	11%	71
Somewhat Inexpensive	14%	12%	84
Very Inexpensive	21%	27%	131

About Cannabiz Consumer GroupTM

Cannabiz Consumer Group investigates the impact of marijuana legalization on consumer spending throughout the economy.

Bringing together a team with expertise in the tracking of emerging markets, data modeling, and predictive analytics, Cannabiz Consumer GroupTM focuses on specific industries that must adapt quickly to cannabis legalization. This includes over-the-counter medications, beer, wine, spirits, tobacco, other foods and beverages, retail, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and travel / tourism. Each are subject to shifts in consumer spending as existing legal use markets continue evolve and new markets launch.

For more information about CannaUse™, contact [email protected] or visit www.cannabizconsumergroup.com

Online MR Double Feature: Metrics for a New Industry & How Marijuana Changes Travel & Tourism

Chief Product Officer Rich Maturo, and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Townsend featured in this month’s Online MR magazine. Leslie Townsend talks about why the marijuana industry needs its own market research company in her interview. “It is going to be a very disruptive industry, impacting everything from agricultural land use to prison reform.”

Rich Maturo writes about how travel and tourism in the US has changed as a result of legalization. “Legalized recreational markets are realizing economic growth of 14 billion per year from visitors traveling specifically for consumption of recreational cannabis.” Read it for yourself: http://joom.ag/P4uQ .

Cannabiz Consumer Group™ Debuts to Track the Growing Legal Marijuana Marketplace

CHICAGO IL (June 19, 2016) – Cannabiz Consumer Group™ announces launch of operations this week, providing research and tracking services to markets disrupted by legalization of marijuana. As Cannabiz launches, 25 states plus District of Columbia have legalized some variation of medical marijuana, four states plus D.C. have legalized or are implementing recreational marijuana, and several more states will vote in on various referendums in November, with the number of referendums still in flux.

“When many of us think of disruption we often think of it being caused by technological change,” said CEO Leslie Townsend. “But changes to regulation can have equally significant impacts. Legalization of marijuana will be a market disruptor to many industries, product segments, and social institutions. It is changing the economies of state governments, agricultural land use, travel and tourism patterns, and how and where medical treatment is obtained, among other influences. Cannabis legalization has attracted major investor groups, and all of this without the benefits of the traditional banking industry. Our team has identified several market segments that are particularly at risk for disruption.”

“The impact of legalized cannabis on everyday staple consumer products and services and retail establishments is without precedent,” said Rich Maturo, one of the founders of Cannabiz Consumer Group. “Our CannaUse™ research shows that consumer purchase behavioral shifts will take billions of dollars from the revenue streams of some of the nation’s largest corporations and brand portfolios. Most noteworthy is that we are seeing it is not only millennials or a small segment of the population taking part, but rather this is a much more substantial consumer movement. Those businesses that proactively seek to understand the migration paths will be best prepared to deal with the change that is coming their way. Given the pending ballot referendums, November 2016 is poised to be the date that future generations will point to as the genesis of this new disruptive industry.”

About Cannabiz Consumer Group

Cannabiz has assembled a team with expertise in market measurement and tracking, consumer and shopper segmentation and targeting, sales activation, trade area assessment, and predictive analytics. When combined with industry-leading data collection, data sciences, and data processing technologies; Cannabiz Consumer Group™ is unique in its ability to provide consumer goods and services industries and retailers guidance on how to manage their businesses within legalized markets.

For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.cannabizconsumergroup.com

For press inquiries, please contact:

Leslie Townsend
[email protected]