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More than half (52%) of Stressed Out Millennials report using cannabis five days per week or more, making them 33% more likely than the average CBD consumer to use cannabis regularly.
Let’s explore the Stressed Out Millennials consumer category to understand who they are and what CBD products they’re choosing.
Who are the Stressed Out Millennials?
Stressed Out Millennials mainly consist of women (61%), and individuals who are partnered or married (60%), have children in the home (59%) and have a household income under $75,000 (67%). With this hectic reality, consumers in those groups are likely to use CBD five or more days per week and to have used CBD for over a year, compared to all other CBD users. Stressed Out Millennials are also significantly more likely (57%) to desire emotional relief from CBD products compared to all CBD consumers (35%).
Aside from CBD, Stressed Out Millennials are also likely to use THC-dominant cannabis. More than half (52%) report using cannabis five days per week or more, making them 33% more likely than the average CBD consumer to use cannabis regularly. In line with this trend, Stressed Out Millennials’ top CBD purchase channel in Q4 2021 was dispensaries at 44% (where they buy their THC products).
In 2021, 47% of Stressed Out Millennials reported using CBD vapes, while 37% reported using CBD flower. The group’s affinity for inhalable products has grown over time, reaching its highest levels in Q4 2021.
Looking at Brightfield’s personality insights, Stressed Out Millennials are expectedly more anxious than the average consumer while also having a slightly more positive outlook on life. This group also tends to value luxury rather than be thrifty, indicating they are more likely to spend on superior or novel products than other consumers.
Stressed Out Millennial Product Use
Gummies are an explosively popular CBD product type, with consumer-reported use increasing from 40% in Q1 2021 to 53% in Q1 2022. However, Stressed Out Millennials’ gummy use has been higher than average for the last two years—especially at the end of 2020. The rest of CBD consumers have caught up to Stressed Out Millennials’ gummy usage, and the group no longer significantly over-indexes for the product type.
Where Stressed Out Millennials do significantly over-index is vape and flower CBD products. In 2021, 47% reported using CBD vapes, while 37% reported using CBD flower. The group’s affinity for inhalable products has grown over time, reaching its highest levels in Q4 2021. Inhalable products provide the fastest effect, making them ideal for a stressed consumer looking for quick relief. Though flower and vapes will be some of the slowest-growing product types by market size, brands wishing to target this consumer base will still need to pay attention to these categories.
The Perfect Inhalable for a Stressed Out Millennial
Given their desire for emotional relief, positioning inhalable products as helpful for stress relief and relaxation can be a good strategy for brands to target Stressed Out Millennials. Additionally, the group’s experience with cannabis means there is a potentially smaller learning curve regarding cultivar and flower quality. Plus, they already choose to buy CBD in dispensaries. This, along with their tendency to be less price-sensitive when purchasing, makes Stressed Out Millennials an ideal target for luxury CBD flower or carefully curated vapes.
Intentionally branded, high-quality CBD options with clear use cases offered in dispensaries could be a hit among Stressed Out Millennials. High-THC flower continues to dominate dispensary shelves, but the growing interest in inhalable CBD among these young, stressed consumers offers a unique opportunity for hemp growers and CBD brands to deliver effective products to a possibly underserved population.
Madeline Scanlon is a Sr. insights analyst for Brightfield Group.
