Cannabis beverages in the United States - Statistics and Facts

The legal recreational cannabis market is growing in North America and cannabis-based beverages are contributing to that. Since 2018, cannabis has been legal for recreational use in all of Canada and as of 2023 roughly half of states in the United States have legalized the drug. Cannabis infused beverages represent a small but growing segment of the market.

CBD and THC

There are two segments of the cannabis infused beverage market, those containing THC, the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, and those containing CBD, a non-psychoactive chemical thought to have some medical benefits. Both are marketed across Canada but THC-infused beverages are limited to states that have legalized recreational cannabis in the U.S. In the CBD side of the market, beverages reached 8.8 million dollars in sales, making it the third largest segment. The fastest growing category of CBD beverages is sparkling and seltzer waters, following the rise of functional beverages generally. In the THC-infused edibles market, beverages currently account for six percent of sales. Candy dominates with almost three quarters of all sales. Most sales of THC-infused beverages are of drinks containing higher dosages of 100 to 109.99 milligrams.

Who are the consumers?

Cannabis beverage consumer tend to skew younger, with penetration highest among those under 34 years of age. In contrast, only six percent of cannabis users aged 55 years and older consumer infused beverages. Although the industry has hoped that beverages would be a good avenue to introduce new consumers to cannabis, it is actually seasoned regular cannabis users that make up the bulk of sales at the moment. The high-dosage THC beverage market share makes sense in light of this fact. Younger consumer likely provide the most opportunity for the cannabis beverage industry as Gen Z may embrace the product as an alternative to alcoholic beverages.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Jan Conway, Dec 21, 2023

Key insights

U.S. cannabis beverage market size
204m USD
U.S. recreational cannabis market size
33.6bn USD
Canadian recreational cannabis market size
4bn USD
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