How do you picture the average legal pot user? If your mind immediately conjures up a 20-something young man who spends a couple hundred dollars each month to get his hands on some weed so he can get high with his buddies, you’re partly right.
The average legal pot purchaser in the United States is male, but he’s closer to middle-aged (37 years old) and he forks over roughly $647 a year for cannabis.
That’s the word from Headset Inc., a cannabis research company headquartered in Seattle, which analyzed roughly 40,000 legal marijuana purchases made in Washington over a two-year period to determine who is using legal marijuana and how much they’re spending to purchase it.
Although 37 is the average age of a legal pot purchaser in the United States, somewhat younger adults are purchasing the majority of legal weed sold, according to Headset. More than 50 percent of marijuana is purchased by the so-called millennial generation (ages 21-34).
America’s young adults also make more frequent trips to marijuana dispensaries than their older counterparts. Of all the age groups, Generation X pot users (ages 35-51) spend the most money when shopping at a marijuana dispensary — forking over about $823 each year on cannabis products.
“As you’re older, you might have more money to go and make bigger purchases,” Headset co-founder Cy Scott told Bloomberg. “The millennials might be out and about more; they can drop into [marijuana dispensaries] more often. Older people might just plan more.”
Although the traditional dried bud, also known as flower, is the most popular cannabis product for both men and women, followed by pre-rolled joints, vapor pens and edibles, women typically buy more pre-rolled joints and cannabis edibles than men, who tend to purchase more marijuana concentrates.
The Headset report also revealed that women are more willing to both try and purchase nontraditional marijuana products like beverages, topicals or tinctures.
Overall, men make up or about 70 percent of cannabis dispensary customers. That’s a ratio of nearly 2-to-1.
“This disparity is not surprising given cannabis culture’s emphasis on the male pothead,” says Headset.
Check out some of our other stories on legal marijuana:
- “Legal Recreational Marijuana Sales Near $1 Billion“
- “U.S. Marijuana Stores Take on a New Look and Feel“
- “Forget Florida; Retirees Opting for Pot-Friendly States“
Are you surprised that the average age of a pot smoker is 37? Share your comments below or on our Facebook page.
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