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Gummy Mania Roots Even Deeper in California

Like all states with legal marijuana sales, California consumers betray quirks when it comes to cannabis edibles. For example, their love for baked goods like brownies and cookies stood apart long before the pivot to recreational sales in January, especially compared to Colorado and Oregon. They bought enough baked goods for the category to capture 12 percent of the edibles market in 2017, compared to 7 percent in Colorado and a measly 3 percent in Oregon according to data from cannabis market research firm BDS Analytics.

Meanwhile, in many ways the buying habits of California edibles lovers tracked those in other states, at least roughly. Edibles sales in California in 2017 captured 13 percent of the overall cannabis market, which mirrors edibles market share in Oregon, is slightly behind Colorado (15 percent) and a bit higher than edibles-stingy Washington (9 percent).

However, edibles’ market share expanded across the year; by December, edibles sales represented 15 percent of cannabis sales in the Golden State.

The edibles landscape in California during the first month of recreational sales.

And then in January, when California launched recreational sales, market share rose a notch, to 16 percent. The slow rise of edibles in California is interesting — as of January, California now leads the nation in terms of edibles market share.

But much more interesting is Californians upped enthusiasm for gummy candy between the Wild West cannabis days, which ended on December 31 last year, and the New World of cannabis regulations, beginning on January 1.

During the last year of the Wild West, gummy candies already were enormously popular in California. Among big edibles categories, like beverages, chocolate and tinctures, candy was No. 1, with 33 percent of the edibles market. And within the candy slice of the edibles pie, gummies are No. 1 in all states — including California. Consumers from Eureka to San Diego to Bakersfield in 2017 dropped enough money on gummies for the chewy candies to command 57 percent of the dominant candy market.

Gummies share of the candy market in California rose dramatically in the pivot from medical to recreational sales. Gummies lead of the candy market now is commanding.

But then January arrived — the New World.

And Californians passion for gummies reached new heights.

By the end of the month, sales of gummies commanded 71 percent of the entire California candy market.

Now that is a sweet growth.

 

 

Doug Brown

Doug Brown

Douglas Brown spent more than two decades in newspaper and magazine newsrooms around the country, covering everything from the White House and Capitol Hill to technology policy to crime in New Mexico. Now, he runs Contact High Communications, a leading cannabis public relations firm based in Boulder, CO. He can be reached at www.contacthighco.com

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