Beer Drinkers Are Willing to Try THC/CBD Cannabis Drinks
A majority of beer drinkers would be happy to try out THC- or CBD-infused cannabis drinks. This is the take from a new interesting study that drills into how beer drinkers feel about alternative beverages, such as drinks infused with cannabinoids.
Researchers with the University of Tennessee Knoxville examined survey data from 1,094 U.S. beer drinkers in a quirky quest to find out whether there is consumer willingness to try out cannabis drinks, along with checking out general perceptions on cannabis-infused beverages. Weird or not, their research findings might be extremely useful to canna entrepreneurs and beer manufacturers alike.
There’s Huge Cannabis Market Potential for Beer Producers
Popularity of alcohol-free booze has been on the rise in recent years. In addition, various surveys show that more and more Americans substitute alcohol with weed - a trend which seems exponential with the ongoing state-level type of legalization. While not many people may be willing to give up on favorite drinks such as beer, University of Tennessee Knoxville researchers cared to ask beer-drinkers what they think about possible weed-infused alternatives. Their findings were recently published in the British Food Journal.
The paper, thirstily titled “Beer drinker perceptions of cannabis-infused beverages” identifies that there are significant market opportunities for beer producers to enter the cannabis sphere with THC- and CBD-infused beverage products. “The results offer novel insights into the target audience and market potential for cannabis-infused beverages that manufacturers and entrepreneurs can use in their business strategies,” the researchers wrote.
Beer Drinkers Won’t Mind Making a Cannabis Beverage Order
More than half of the surveyed participants in the study were positive about cannabis drinks. “Approximately 53-56% of beer drinkers in our sample stated that they were willing to try cannabis-infused beverages, with age, product knowledge and past purchasing behaviors correlating with this response,” says the research paper.
Asked about prices and safety, survey respondents said that they expect infused drinks to be of slightly higher prices and with the same or similar safety scores as alcohol beverages. “On average, consumers expected CBD- and THC-infused beverages to be $0.33 and $0.98 more expensive per six-pack than a conventional beer, respectively,” the paper notes.
Respondents were just a bit more enthusiastic about trying out THC drinks (56 percent) compared to CBD-infused drinks (53 percent). On the other hand, around 28 percent of surveyed beer-drinkers were not so eager for CBD-infused beverages, with a similar percentage also going fo the THC drink options.
Overall, the numbers show that there is great curiosity among beer drinkers about wanting to try cannabis-infused drinks. In fact, for many it won’t be much of a news to indulge in cannabis. It is further noted in the paper that over half of the interviewed beer drinkers have used cannabis recreationally in the past year.
THC Drinks Are for Fun and CBD for Health
As researchers compared individual responses to the two main cannabinoids - THC and CBD - most participants, or 44 percent, nodded ‘yes’ for both products. Twenty percent said ‘no’, while only four percent of respondents indicated that they would try CBD drinks, but not THC variants.
All findings from the recent study imply that the target audience for the two types of infused beverages is more or less the same. It’s the marketing and drinking occasions that change - usually because of different reasons for product use.
Based on the results, it’s the obvious: THC-infused drinks could be marketed for recreational purposes, such as social gatherings with friends, or as an alternative to alcohol consumption. On the other hand, again expectedly, non-intoxicating CBD drinks could fare much better with marketing about health benefits, such as stress relief or improved sleep.
Who is more willing to try CBD-infused drinks according to demographic data? It’s younger beer drinkers, those with higher incomes, and those who had used marijuana before.
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Stephen Andrews
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