Marijuana has been used medically for at least 3,000 years according to the National Institutes of Health. It has lived through the ups and downs of society’s glaring opinions for a long time and has come out on the other side fairly unscathed. Cannabis was legalized recreationally for the first time in 2013 in two states. Fast forward ten years and you can add twenty-one more to the list totaling twenty-three states with no signs of slowing down.
It’s safe to say that the stigma associated with marijuana as well as psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, is becoming a memory in the United States. If you work in the cannabis industry, that’s the best news since Cheech & Chong came out with Up In Smoke in 1978.
So, let’s chat about the change of heart people in America have had toward marijuana and what the impact is on the now booming cannabis industry.
Why people are changing their perception toward cannabis
A recent Gallup poll revealed that the number of Americans who consider marijuana less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes or other tobacco products is increasing year after year.
This really shouldn’t be that big of a shock considering how relentless health organizations have been with publicizing the risks from cigarettes. At any rate, the marijuana trend is on the rise and people’s perception of it will continue to soften for a couple of reasons. One, the more it becomes legalized, the more people will accept it. Because something that bad can’t be legal, right? Two, the switch to an alternative like marijuana rather than a traditional vice has slowly been taking over the consumer market, legal or illegal.
Health Considerations
Legalization is by far not the only reason individuals have turned their hearts toward the little green plant. The benefits of marijuana have been publicized for a long time, however, recently the advertising of cannabis within the CBD market has been booming. You can’t go 4 blocks without seeing an ad about what it can do for people medically and the fact that it’s all natural is a benefit in itself.
There are many ways to take advantage of the health benefits of cannabis, especially with how cannabis is packaged. A person can pop an edible just as easy as a stick of gum, with no residual effects to their lungs as smoking tobacco or cigarettes would do. Of course, people choose to smoke marijuana as well but the variety of ways to enjoy cannabis is far greater than of the other traditional vices people have latched on to.
Even alcohol has its damaging effects on our liver, so the appeal of a natural, more safe alternative for people to wind down at the end of a long day has skyrocketed. Who wouldn’t want to give it a try? That also goes for psilocybin within the mushroom industry. The natural appeal is there, and with younger generations becoming more health conscious it seems like a no-brainer why cannabis has become more popular.
Social influencers in the cannabis space
Speaking of younger generations, it cannot be said enough the influence that social media and pop culture has played in the rise of marijuana. Whether it’s a celebrity, entrepreneur, or content creator, influencers on TikTok and Instagram have put cannabis at the forefront of the conversation.
This type of exposure only heightens people’s awareness about cannabis and naturally makes them curious. Talk about changing perception. When you force someone to start doing their own research on something, that’s powerful leverage. And people within the cannabis industry have been taking advantage of this leverage and the overall popularity of cannabis products.
Legalization of recreational marijuana
We’ve touched on it a bit already, but the fact that more and more states are legalizing the recreational use of cannabis along with the medical use is a big deal. Everyone is getting on board and it really is only a matter of time before the entire country is living wild and free within the cannabis space.
If the government is legalizing instead of criminalizing it like everyone has been used to over the past several decades, then of course this is going to be a huge reason why people are softening to the idea. In fact, more and more people are trying marijuana for the first time or have admitted to using it regularly. All’s fair in love and Mary Jane.
Compliant Packaging is here for your cannabis packaging needs and to be your partner in this booming industry.
We live and breathe the cannabis industry and have the experience in packaging it requires to keep brands and products fresh on the market. At Compliant Packaging, our in-house team is here to meet your needs and will craft specific packaging solutions unique to your product to help distinguish your brand above all others.
Let’s talk about packaging solutions! Reach out to us!