This year marks the 10th anniversary of Colorado Amendment 64, legalizing cannabis for recreational use. Since then, multiple other states have legalized or decriminalized the use of recreational cannabis, opening the market to new consumers and the introduction of new weed-derived products. By 2025, the total annual market for cannabis in the US is expected to balloon to $45.8 billion, according to cannabis research company Headset.
The opportunities for cannabis marketers are big as holidays like 4/20 attract new consumers. According to a separate Headset study of the 4/20 weed holiday in 2021, purchases by female customers increased by 140% over the four weeks leading up to the holiday, compared to 107% for male buyers. Meanwhile, sales to Gen Z buyers almost tripled 4/20 sales in 2020, growing by 168% in 2021. Sales to Millennials followed closely with a 125% sales growth. Headset notes that consumers are more likely to purchase beverages, concentrates, edibles, flower, and pre-rolls over the green holiday.
With Gen Z and Millennials being the most dominant cannabis customer groups, cannabis marketers have a huge opportunity to deliver the same level of effortless and highly personalized experiences and customer journeys that these digital-natives enjoy with other brands. The secret lies in using an AI-powered customer engagement platform to help you create a 360-degree view of every customer so you can design, automate, and deliver moments of joy, not only over the 4/20 holiday period but also throughout the year. Here are six key engagement campaigns to get you started.