What drives cannabis purchase decisions in a legal market?

Among 23 cannabis consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador, five themes drove purchase decisions: price, quality, packaging/warnings, source, and social influences. The price gap between licensed and unlicensed retailers was the most discussed factor keeping consumers in the illicit market. Participants were largely indifferent to packaging and warnings but concerned about excessive regulatory packaging.

Qualitative study using semi-structured focus groups and interviews with 23 individuals (30% women, 83% urban) who had purchased cannabis in the past 12 months. Thematic analysis with deductive and inductive coding using NVivo.

More than two years after legalization, a large share of Canadian cannabis purchases still came from unlicensed sources. Understanding why helps policymakers make regulated products more competitive.

The findings suggest that purely regulatory approaches like warning labels may not shift consumer behavior. Price competitiveness and product quality standards may be more effective at moving purchases to the legal market.

Small sample from one Canadian province. Predominantly urban and male participants. Qualitative design cannot quantify the relative importance of each factor.