Cannabis Sales Flower with U.S. Women

Women cannabis consumers are increasing their share of the U.S. market for cannabis products, according to new market research from Denver, CO-based Akerna.

Female shoppers have increased their share of U.S. cannabis purchases by 3.3% since 2019, the enterprise software company said in a statement.

Women’s first choices among cannabis products are flower and vape cartridges, with concentrates coming in third, according to Akerna. Concentrates knocked edibles out of third place as ladies’ choice of consumable for the first time since the company began tracking consumer market demographic trends.

“Cannabis has plenty of stigmas and stereotypes, but the data doesn’t lie—it has a broad appeal to people of all ages, sexes and socioeconomic statuses. I expect to see more and more brands targeting their products and marketing towards women in the coming years. Otherwise, they will risk losing participation in this growing market to the competition who does,” Akerna CEO Jessica Billingsley said.

Akerna researchers found that young women were most likely to buy concentrates, with purchases of that product category declining as the age group rises. Women in older age groups were more likely to purchase infused edibles, according to the study.

“Concentrates are perceived as an advanced cannabis consumption method, which could be why they appeal the most to younger populations which have grown up with the legalization of cannabis. On the other hand, edibles provide a discreet form of cannabis consumption with easy dosing, which is likely why they appeal to more mature populations,” Akerna analyst James Ahrendt said.

Akerna provides a variety of software and services to legal cannabis operators, vendors and government organizations, including compliance, data, payment, seed-to-sale, track-and-trace, and consulting services. Akerna’s flagship analytical solution, MJ Platform, gives operators, investors and regulators access to the company’s large, curated database of cannabis industry statistical data.