Fifty percent of Americans now report that they have tried cannabis, and this means that ever-evolving consumer trends are changing even faster. Today's consumers are more diverse and informed, with access to a wealth of educational resources and expanded product options.

As the market expands, new challenges emerge and opportunities emerge. The size of the global cannabis market is increasing at a rate of 34% per year, and new customers often face a steep learning curve, grappling with cannabinoids, terpenes, and delivery methods across thousands of products. 

Addressing these challenges and information hurdles is key to fostering customer trust and satisfaction. Dispensaries play a pivotal role in bridging this gap, empowering budtenders to provide accurate, personalized guidance. 

By embracing education, operators can position themselves as trusted experts and support the cannabis community’s evolution toward a well-informed, inclusive market.

To explore this dynamic, The Green Letter asked four cannabis industry pioneers to share their insights on common mistakes and key consumer trends driving the industry today. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Searching for Smoking Alternatives

All consumers are different. The biggest thing that I see from customers is their diversity, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly one mistake consumers make. I would say the search for healthier options can be challenging – some people don’t know what that means, so you really have to drill down to it. At the end of the day, a lot of people don’t want to be smoking daily. It’s bad for their lungs. Searching for alternatives but not knowing where to start sometimes takes a guiding hand, and I do see a lot of people trusting their local budtenders for that advice.

– Jeffrey Green, Treeworks

Pitfalls of Chasing the Biggest Hit

As a new buyer, the biggest mistake you can make is looking only at TAC (total active cannabinoids) or total THC as a sole decision factor in purchasing cannabis.

– Josh Priesing, Springtime

Higher Demand for Terpenes

We are definitely getting more educated consumers. There’s a lot of people looking for terpenes now that haven't been before. Having things like smell jars available has been really helpful for us moving product that may be lower testing that, in the past, wouldn’t move for us. Typically, my range of what I look for when I’m pricing the bud is something like 2% or more in terps to attract those customers.

– Krisztina Streaman, Harbor House Collective

Don’t Be a TAC-Hunter

The biggest mistake new customers make is thinking that percentages or potency is a driving factor in the benefit that you’re going to derive from the product. It’s not always in the consumers hands; if you get a non-enthused budtender you might be misled. I think people don’t understand that THC is not the driving factor, though it is one of the main components. It helps activate the entourage effect, allowing the full combination of cannabinoids to be truly effective, but THC alone does not drive that benefit. I feel like it would be helpful for people to understand that there are more than 113 other cannabinoids that have really cool and unique effects that will add to that. Not being a TAC-hunter and looking for some really quality product is more effective for consumers.

– Ramzi Moushabeck, Treeworks