Cannabinoid beverages are a hot topic, drawing considerable attention from both existing legal cannabis players and participants in the broader consumer packaged goods markets. Total spending on legal cannabis in the United States is set to more than double to $34.5 billion by 2025—and the edibles product category, including beverages, is outpacing that rise considerably. In Canada, where edibles just made their debut late last year, the category is growing much faster than the overall market, which is forecast to reach $6.1 billion in 2025. 

Cannabis edibles are a key driver of legal cannabis sales, accounting for 15% of total spending at present. That share is forecast to increase over time: By 2025, sales of edibles are expected to grow to 2.4 times 2020 sales volume versus 2.1 times growth in the total legal cannabis market—where sales are forecast to expand from $16.2 billion in 2020 to $34.5 billion in 2025.

When Colorado first launched adult-use (recreational) sales in 2014, the existing medical market opened up to a wave of new consumers, including those from the sizable illicit market as well as new consumers who previously had little or no experience with cannabis.

Global legal cannabis spending is forecast to reach $47 billion in 2025, a number too big to ignore for many companies and industries. The U.S. will continue to be the largest global market, driven by more and more adult use markets opening.

The Nevada cannabis market is unique among states with legal recreational cannabis regimes. The role of tourism plays a big role in shaping retail trends. The concentration of sales in urban centers stands apart. And the state’s regulatory framework offers benefits and challenges for cannabis companies and investors.

The latest Cannabis Intelligence Briefing from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics: CBD: Cannabidiol Escapes the Dispensary details CBD’s move from legal cannabis dispensaries to the general retail market. At present, the bulk (65%) of the $1.9 billion in annual spending on CBD products in the U.S. takes place through licensed dispensaries in legal cannabis states.

How many products contain cannabis? Hundreds. Flower – of course – and pre-rolls. Vape pens and concentrates like shatter and Live Resin. Creams and massage oils. Chocolate chip cookies, coffee sodas, pills, strawberry taffy, powders for adding to hot tea or cold juice. Companies are rolling out myriad new products in pot-friendly states every week — it’s remarkable.

Cannabis Ingestibles cover a lot of ground, including everything from pills to slices of pie to bottles of THC-infused cold-brewed coffee. But one style of ingestible dominates the market: the gummy.

By the time it drew to a close, California’s first year of legal adult-use cannabis had matured into an industry behemoth.

--Updated August 2019--