Analysis: Consumers’ Cannabis Purchasing Patterns Are Determined By Price, Ease of Access

TORONTO –According to statistics published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, consumers’ choices regarding whether to buy cannabis products from the legal market or the unregulated market are most driven by price and convenience.

More than 11,000 cannabis consumers in Canada and the US were polled by Canadian researchers. The majority of respondents said they would avoid buying cannabis from the legal market if they thought they could get it cheaper and more easily from unrestricted sources.

The authors stated that “higher prices and inconvenience of legal sources were common impediments to acquiring legal cannabis.” Future studies ought to look at how perceived obstacles to legal shopping alter as these markets develop.

Data has previously demonstrated that cannabis users are prepared to pay more for legal cannabis goods because they think those items are better than ones that can be obtained from other sources. Consumers recognize that they will not purchase goods that they believe to be overpriced, nonetheless.

According to other research released earlier this year by Leafly.com, regions with the most developed legal cannabis markets and the fewest local restrictions on retail establishments are the ones that are most successful in upending unregulated cannabis supply networks.

According to NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, “the most efficient approach to disrupt the unregulated economy is for lawmakers and regulators to promptly offer cannabis users with an accessible and affordable legal marketplace.” Municipal restrictions on cannabis-related enterprises have been repeatedly attacked by NORML because, in their opinion, they only serve to prevent consumers from accessing products that are authorized.