Friendly, peaceful, and harmless, The Stoner is the foundation of cannabis culture. When thinking of a stoner, long hair, Indica strains, and Grateful Dead attire may come to mind. But while their respective haircut and clothing preferences may vary, one thing remains constant in this type of buyer: consistency.

This group is made up of your habitual users and those who, by word of mouth and by the oftentimes communal nature of smoking for recreational purposes, make up the backbone of the cannabis market and influence new buyers to jump on board. They are depicted time and time again as a similar archetype in music, television shows, and movies: early high school to mid college aged individuals, bored, with lots of unhealthy yet delicious snacks and time to kill. It is no surprise, then, that they in turn are also the ones who bear the brunt of the stigma surrounding the world of marijuana; the stereotype that those who use marijuana are dirty, lazy, stupid, or otherwise unsavory.

Sean Penn characterizes the stoner in
“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”

You know that part in a movie where the artist can’t seem to find the inspiration to begin their big masterpiece, so they light up a joint to help break through their mental hurdle?  The Creative is a customer who seeks out a more cerebral high that will provide them with the enhanced creativity and energy with which to aid in an artistic endeavor.  Whether they are writers looking for their next big break, or artists who wish to take advantage of the creative powers of bud to create award winning paintings, these users desire improved creativity. They are a staple in cannabis culture. 

Most commonly associated with Sativa strains of marijuana that typically fill users with this much sought after creative focus and energy, many Creatives claim to be more productive when they smoke.  Many even claim that their best work is helped or even completely influenced by their cannabis use, which produces incredibly loyal users who consider marijuana vital to forming certain character traits and successes.

Many Creatives seek to emulate artists they admire who use marijuana as a tool with which to produce changes in thinking and in turn more original content.  They in turn may respond especially well to advertising mentioning specific exceptional individuals who excelled in their desired profession with bowl or pipe in hand.  In this group, marijuana is used as a device, almost akin to coffee for a tired person, to ultimately accomplish a goal they have set for themselves.

John Lennon is getting ready to write
beautiful lyrics to a generation of smokers

Though the existence of them has and continues to be rather taboo in today’s traditional American culture, a surprising number of cannabis consumers with children are coming out of the woodwork.  Perhaps brought on by the advent of legalized medicinal marijuana, many households now contain parents who are just as likely to light up a joint after the children have been put to bed as they are to enjoy a glass of wine in front of the television.

Though people ages 65 to 95 make up less than 5 percent of cannabis customers in the US, there are many younger parents bridging the gap between the stereotypical young, single smoker and today’s joint lighting mothers- especially if they live in areas with vibrant alternative subcultures such as New Mexico, Colorado, or California.  If they do happen to be older parents, many of them are long term users who already have a set method and motivation for purchasing and consuming cannabis.

It will be particularly important, then, for a brand opening in newer markets to strike a balance between the two.  For those who are unlikely to change their method of smoking from the last time they smoked on a regular basis (usually when they were younger), it is essential to offer a wide selection of flower for those select groups uninterested in changing their ways.  For the younger, more experimental parental crowd, it is vital to offer a strong variety of products to attract and entice new consumers or reignite the spark for those who may have ceased their consumption around the time their children were born.

A Beverly Hills mother claims that marijuana
makes her a better mother. Article

The Patient is a medical marijuana user who tends to be somewhat more selective and discerning than the aforementioned recreational consumers.  Those who use marijuana in a medicinal manner tend to use hybrids or products containing Indica strains that are very relaxing and produce an overall body high.  These users smoke more for overall pain relief, and are more likely to shy away from the branding geared towards many forms of recreational use.  They are more likely to treat marijuana just like any other medicine they are prescribed to take.

Medical marijuana is typically used by the Patient to relax muscles and relieve headaches, migraines, and general body pain.  And though the traditional medical marijuana user may be prescribed the product for a variety of symptoms associated with chronic illness, a growing number of patients are being prescribed marijuana to treat insomnia and to relieve general anxiety and stress brought on by the day to day.

The Patient uses and consumes marijuana for a definitive purpose, and ultimately is not looking for something to take to have fun; they are looking for something they can take to treat an ailment, disease, or other condition.  For this type of cannabis buyer, the product it meant to be therapeutic, not as a way to ‘chill out’ in a large group setting or have a totally life altering experience.

A medical marijuana patient relaxing
as he exhales the natural medicine

We all know a cannabis Connoisseur- perhaps better described as ‘The Elitist’- who talks about obscure strains of marijuana every chance they get and will not be caught dead hitting a plastic bong or even a regular pipe.  This type of buyer is well-versed in the ins and outs of cannabis subculture, and are typically drawn towards strains and products they haven’t yet tried for themselves.  For The Connoisseur, knowledge is power; if there is something within their chosen culture of expertise they are unfamiliar with, you bet that they will do anything within their power to get their hands on it.

Conversely, high quality items are valued over those that are merely the most innovative, new, or shiny.  Having a stock of high quality products to choose from is of the utmost important to The Connoisseur, many of whom are willing to pay steep premiums for organic or lab tested cannabis.  Because cannabis culture is something they are personally passionate about, they are much more likely to spend more on higher quality ‘luxury items’ and paraphernalia than the occasional recreational user.

It is important for The Connoisseur to have knowledge and expertise on the entire gamut of cannabis related products the industry has to offer.  They are the type of customers to really sit and digest this information; they will take the time to carefully sift through each product offered to them to find the hidden gems that make them subject matter experts.

Kid Cudi with a whiskey glass
full of carefully elected buds

The Millennials are defined as the group of cannabis customers born between the years of 1982 and approximately 2004.  The broad societal term ‘millennial’ stems from the shared experience of the millennium transition when technology suddenly skyrocketed and a whole new way of life needed to be adopted in order to ‘keep up.’  The two main things that have shaped millennials have been the rise of technology and the introduction of social networks.

Growth of the legal market has allowed a wider variety of cannabis products to develop and flourish, such as edibles, concentrates, and other infused products.  The introduction of these new proponents coupled with the influx of technology, and the wide array of advertising opportunities available through social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram, resonates first and foremost with The Millennial.  As the primary user and consumer of social media platforms and content, The Millennial is the cannabis buyer who is most likely to see and be affected by the advertising present within the world of social media.

Millennials are fast to try new brands
and products looking for new experiences

The Generation X user is made up of people born between the years of 1961 and 1981; they are the demographic cohort directly following the Baby Boomer Generation, and are sandwiched between them and The Millennials.  Often overlooked because they are not the first people that come to mind when one thinks ‘cannabis consumer,’ they are a difficult demographic to target because their range is incredibly broad.

They are teachers, professionals, business men and women, scientists, and innovators.  They are at the age where they have become ‘normal adults’ and assume a level of responsibility many of them believe exist in a manner mutually exclusive to their glory days of marijuana and cannabis edibles.  Similar to The Parents, many Generation Xers have put their rebellious pasts behind them and are now subjected to a host of new responsibilities, such as careers, marriage and family, and overall quality of life.  In turn, they have also become more mentally burdened as a result of these responsibilities.

Yes, even your kids teacher or your doctor
is most probably smoking a joint or two