Munchies of Choice Vary Between States’ Edibles Consumers

We smoke, vape and slather our weed. We affix patches infused with THC to our arms. And more and more of us, too, eat our reefer. 

So far during 2018, edibles sales in major states garnered 15 percent of market share among all cannabis sales, behind flower and concentrates according to cannabis research firm BDS Analytics. Market share hasn’t expanded tremendously — during 2015 in Colorado, for example, market share was 12 percent, and this year it’s 16 percent — but growth is steady. Slowly, but surely, those brownies, pills and gummies are gaining on shatter and Tangerine Kush.

But consumers in major cannabis states don’t all prefer the same types of products. What sells like pot cakes in California might never ignite in Colorado. Through August of this year, consumers ate a lot of cannabis. And what, exactly, did they eat?

California

Let’s begin with what people are not eating in California, at least compared to other leading cannabis states. Just as it is everywhere else, candy leads the pack in California. But the category has only 37 percent market share in the Golden State, which is the weakest market share among the states under examination (California, Colorado, Oregon and Arizona). 

What are Californians savoring instead of candy? Tinctures. At 23 percent market share, California is the Land of Tinctures. Coloradans, by contrast, only buy enough tinctures to gain 8 percent market share. Meanwhile, chocolates and infused foods are nearly even — 14 percent for chocolate and 13 percent for infused. 

Californians love their tinctures.

Top 20 California Edibles SKUs, By Product Type

Gummies: 11

Tinctures: 5

Brownies: 2

Capsules: 1

Mint: 1

Coloradans like mixing their cheeba with chocolate.

Colorado

Nobody is as chocolate-crazy as Coloradans — they buy enough for the category to harness 19 percent of market share, which makes it the second-most popular category in the state. But they also go nuts for candy. At 51 percent of market share, Colorado is tied for Oregon for candy adoration. One more nugget: Market share for beverages, at 7 percent, is the highest among the states.

Top 20 Colorado Edibles SKUs, By Product Type

Gummies: 12

Chocolate: 3

Tinctures: 2

Tablets: 2

Beverage: 1

Oregonians aren’t high on drinking weed.

Oregon

The weed spending habits of Oregonians thread the needle between the other states; nothing stands out. One category is especially weak, though, compared to the rest of the pack: beverages, which capture just 4 percent of market share. Beverage sales in other states, though, aren’t much higher in terms of market share. 

Top 20 Oregon Edibles SKUs, By Product Type

Gummies: 10

Tinctures: 5

Mints: 3

Caramel: 1

Chocolate: 1

Pot brownies for Arizonans? We’ll have seconds.

Arizona

With the Grand Canyon State’s medical-only status, it stands apart from the rest of the states, all of which have recreational regulatory regimes. But Arizona’s medical system is liberal — most people who want medical cards can get them — and the market is effervescent. For a medical-only state, sales are impressive. Arizonans are mad for infused foods — things like brownies and cookies. Sales in Arizona represent 24 of market share; the next-closest competitor is California, where infused foods hold 13 percent of market share.

Top 20 Arizona Edibles SKUs, By Product Type

Gummies: 11

Chocolates: 4

Caramels: 2

Hard candies: 2

Tinctures: 1