US Inhalables vs Edibles Market Report 2021

Providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis of the US Arts and Crafts Consumer market including the behaviors, preferences, and habits of the consumer.

Current Market Landscape

Despite being the most popular format among current users, flower is the least popular format among interested non-users (11% are interested), meaning people who do not use flower probably are not going to start any time soon. Flower is the classic cannabis format and the one many consumers started their cannabis journeys with. Nostalgia, however, is not enough to maintain flower’s top spot, especially as major life changes, like parenthood, enter the mix and make inhaling less appealing. COVID-19 also soured consumer perspectives on inhaling as lung health became top of mind for almost everyone.

Despite the challenges that many industries suffered in the height of the pandemic and again as variants emerge, cannabis benefitted more than it was harmed by lockdowns. Instead, regulations and restrictions continue to constrain the cannabis market, providing the most significant challenges to cannabis brands and adjacent brands alike. A specific concern includes the unique challenge of planning for a future when the roads diverge into vastly different worlds: one where cannabis is federally legalized, and countless others where states continue to enact unique restrictions down to municipal levels.

Future Market Trends in US Inhalables vs Edibles

Overall, edibles are one of the biggest opportunities to the market given their appeal to men and women equally, new users, and older consumers. They pose less of a threat to lung health, making them a COVID-19-friendly option. They’re also the most likely secondary format for flower users, who, even if they do not abandon inhaling, are still prime candidates for increasing edible use with the right products for the right occasion.

Read on to discover more about the US Inhalables vs Edibles consumer market, read our US Cannabis in Food and Drink Market Report 2021, or take a look at our other Cannabis research reports.

Quickly understand

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior pertaining to inhalable and edible cannabis.
• What cannabis formats have the most opportunity to attract interested non-users.
• Motivations for using different formats, and reasons for lack of use.
• What qualities consumers look for in inhalables vs edibles.

Covered in this report

Brands include: PuffCo Peak Smart Rig, DaVinci MIQRO, Sunday Goods, Stigma & Style, Kanha Nano, Wana Brands, My Green Solution, WYLD, Midnight Roots, Vert Unlimited.

Expert analysis from a specialist in the field

This report, written by Michele Scott, a leading analyst in the Cannabis sector, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends and add expert context to the numbers.

Inhalable cannabis is what most people think of when they think of THC products, and it’s what most users reach for as their primary format. However, edibles are gaining popularity as an additional format for current users and as a primary format among new users. Expect edibles to continue to grow, but inhalables to remain the star of the show. Consumers use both options for very similar use cases, making the experience the main point of differentiation, whether that means incorporating a specific strain, a favorite flavor or safer and BFY options.

Michele Scott
Senior Analyst