Among 817 cannabis users across seven US states, quality, strain type, price, THC content, and pesticide status were the top five purchase factors, jointly accounting for half of total importance.
Cannabis regulators, dispensary operators, public health communicators, and cannabis policy analysts.
Top 5 factors account for 50% of cannabis purchase importance
What the researchers found
The top five purchase factors were quality, strain type, price, THC content, and pesticide status, accounting for roughly half the total importance. Medical users prioritized CBD content and pesticide status, while recreational users focused more on quality, THC, and price. Packaging was the least important attribute.
Why it matters
Understanding what drives cannabis purchase decisions helps regulators design effective labeling requirements and helps public health agencies target messaging about product safety.
The numbers in context
Sample: 817 cannabis users across 7 states. Top 5 attributes: quality, strain type, price, THC, pesticide (50% of total importance). Packaging: least important. 10 choice scenarios per respondent.
How the study worked
Online survey of 817 adult cannabis users in seven states with legal recreational sales (January 2018). Best-worst scaling experiment with 20 policy-relevant attributes across 10 choice scenarios per respondent. Analyzed using hierarchical Bayesian mixed logit models.
What this study cannot tell us
Online survey may over-represent tech-savvy users. Seven states may not represent emerging markets. Best-worst scaling captures stated rather than revealed preferences. January 2018 data precedes further market evolution.
How to read the evidence
Well-designed choice experiment with validated methodology, though stated preferences may not match actual behavior.
When this study was published
Published in 2021 with data from January 2018.
The bigger picture
The high importance placed on pesticide status suggests consumer demand for safety testing, while the low importance of packaging challenges whether current packaging regulations meaningfully influence consumer behavior.
Questions still open
- Would education about cannabis potency risks change how consumers weight THC content? Could labeling requirements leverage the high importance of quality and pesticide status?
Common questions
What matters most to cannabis buyers?
Do medical and recreational users want different things?
Read the original research
Perceived Importance of Factors in Cannabis Purchase Decisions: A Best-worst Scaling Experiment.
The International journal on drug policy, 91, 102793
Citation
Zhu, Bin; Guo, Huiying; Cao, Ying; An, Ruopeng; Shi, Yuyan. (2021). Perceived Importance of Factors in Cannabis Purchase Decisions: A Best-worst Scaling Experiment.. The International journal on drug policy, 91, 102793. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102793