Cannabis Consumption Trends: People Smoke to Relax and Relieve Stress

Researchers used the Jointly mobile app to analyze data from over 200,000 recorded cannabis consumption sessions to better understand when, how, and why people use cannabis. Jointly is a platform for finding cannabis products and tracking personal experiences, helping users identify factors that influence their consumption goals and potential side effects. The report, titled “The Purposeful Consumer,” is the second of three planned as part of a global study. According to the authors, this report reveals clear consumption trends that producers and retailers can use to benefit from the legal cannabis market in the United States, which is projected to exceed $57 billion by 2030.

The first part of the Jointly report, published in 2021, showed that 2 out of 5 consumers reported increased cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers note that the third part of the report will cover archetypes that combine consumer intentions, demographics, and desires into distinct categories.

Key Findings from the Second Jointly Consumer Report

• Flower is the most commonly used product type, preferred by 60% of consumers. Vapes are used by 24%, and extracts by 8%.
• Of the recorded sessions, 50% were solo, and 79% took place at home. Most home use was associated with the goal of relaxation and improving sleep quality.
• Social consumption most often occurred with a partner (22%), with friends (15%), or with family (10%). The main goal of social use was to enjoy time with friends and strengthen intimacy with loved ones.

According to the report, “relaxation and relief from everyday stress are the most common goals” recorded by app users. The goal of replacing other substances such as alcohol, caffeine, or opioids with cannabis was the least common. Interestingly, those who aimed to replace these substances had the highest success rate among all recorded goals.

Ultimately, the report showed that consumer experiences depend equally on the chosen product, dosage level, and the environment in which they consume. Some user goals were more influenced by non-cannabis factors such as diet and physical activity. For example, relaxation and pain relief were often associated with cannabis use, while enhancing intimacy with partners was mainly linked to other factors. This suggests that for some goals, cannabis itself may be the main driver of success, while for others, its impact is minimal.