A new survey of 2,000 US consumers conducted by Culinary Visions explores these consumer preferences and finds that while more consumers would like to enjoy cannabis-infused foods and beverages at home, there is still interest in ordering these items in restaurants. The survey results reveal that 47% of consumers want cannabis-infused foods and beverages to primarily serve functional purposes; however, 48% of them also expect them to taste good. In fact, 37% of the consumers surveyed said that they would consider ordering a cannabis-infused menu item at a restaurant. The research indicated that this emerging product category is more likely to gain acceptance as part of an experiential dining experience in a full-service restaurant (36%) than in quick-service venues (26%).
Source: pmq.com
Lightbulb Moment: Cannabis has several obstacles it struggles to overcome. It is a pure drug, not consumed for its flavor and also doesn’t have a flavor that compliments other common flavors. It is competing with alcohol for its THC effects and competing with big pharma for its CDB effects, yet it has no allies in flavors. It also has the stigma of being the former bad girl who now has legitimacy from the government but that doesn’t mean consumers will forget her previous taboo nature and invite her in immediately.