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Cannabis Consumer Demographics: Who Buys What
Key Statistics
- Millennials account for 42.8% of US cannabis spending, the largest share of any generation (12 months ending June 2026).
- Generation Z's share of cannabis spending reached 21.2%, up from 18.2% two years earlier (June 2026).
- Men account for 65.7% of cannabis spending; women account for 34.3% (12 months ending June 2026).
- Millennial men are the largest single customer segment at 28.5% of all cannabis spending (12 months ending June 2026).
- Baby Boomers put 20.2% of their cannabis dollars toward edibles, three times Generation Z's 6.6% (12 months ending June 2026).
- Generation Z is the only generation whose top category is vapor pens, at 38.2% of its spending (12 months ending June 2026).
Overview
Cannabis consumer demographics look different in transaction data than they do in surveys. Most published demographic profiles ask people what they buy; Headset measures what they actually bought at the register. According to Headset point-of-sale data, Millennials account for 42.8% of US cannabis spending, men outspend women nearly two to one, and Generation Z's share of the market has grown three percentage points in two years.
This page breaks down who buys cannabis by generation, gender, and category, drawn from more than $22 billion in annual retail sales tracked across 15 US state markets. For brands planning launches and retailers tuning assortment, the shifts matter as much as the snapshot: the customer mix is getting younger, and each generation walks out with a different basket.
Who Buys Cannabis? Spending by Generation
According to Headset point-of-sale data, Millennials are the largest cannabis-buying generation at 42.8% of US spending in the 12 months ending June 2026. Generation X follows at 23.5%, Generation Z at 21.2%, and Baby Boomers at 12.6%.
| Generation | Share of cannabis spending | Largest category |
|---|---|---|
| Millennials | 42.8% | Flower (39.8%) |
| Generation X | 23.5% | Flower (40.9%) |
| Generation Z | 21.2% | Vapor Pens (38.2%) |
| Baby Boomers | 12.6% | Flower (44.4%) |
Layer gender on top and the single largest customer segment is Millennial men, at 28.5% of all cannabis spending. Generation X men (15.1%), Millennial women (14.2%), and Generation Z men (14.0%) round out the top four. No other segment reaches 10%. For a brand deciding whose basket to design for, that concentration is the starting point.
Cannabis Demographics by Gender
Men account for 65.7% of cannabis spending and women for 34.3%, a gap of nearly two to one that holds within every generation. What differs more is the basket. Women direct a larger share of their spending to edibles (14.1% versus 10.4% for men), pre-rolls (18.5% versus 15.5%), and topicals (0.5% versus 0.3%). Men lean harder on flower (40.9% versus 35.3%) and concentrates (5.5% versus 3.9%).
| Category | Share of women's spending | Share of men's spending |
|---|---|---|
| Flower | 35.3% | 40.9% |
| Vapor Pens | 25.2% | 25.5% |
| Pre-Roll | 18.5% | 15.5% |
| Edible | 14.1% | 10.4% |
| Concentrates | 3.9% | 5.5% |
| Beverage | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Topical | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Vapor pens are the exception: essentially identical shares of men's and women's wallets. For retailers, the practical read is that the edible, pre-roll, and topical shelves work harder for female customers, and assortment reviews should weigh them accordingly.
What Each Generation Buys
Each generation splits its cannabis dollars differently, and the differences are large enough to reshape an assortment. Generation Z is the only generation whose top category is vapor pens, at 38.2% of its spending against 32.0% for flower. At the other end, Baby Boomers put 20.2% of their dollars toward edibles, three times Generation Z's 6.6%.
| Category | Gen Z | Millennials | Gen X | Baby Boomers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | 32.0% | 39.8% | 40.9% | 44.4% |
| Vapor Pens | 38.2% | 25.7% | 19.9% | 12.9% |
| Pre-Roll | 15.8% | 16.8% | 17.1% | 15.9% |
| Edible | 6.6% | 9.7% | 15.3% | 20.2% |
| Concentrates | 6.1% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 2.7% |
| Beverage | 0.8% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.4% |
| Tincture & Sublingual | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| Capsules | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Read down the columns and the gradients are consistent: flower, edibles, tinctures, and capsules all gain share with age, while vapor pens and concentrates fade. Pre-rolls are the one constant, holding 15.8% to 17.1% of every generation's wallet. Each category link goes to that category's full sales and pricing breakdown.
How Cannabis Consumer Demographics Are Shifting
The cannabis customer base is getting younger. Generation Z's share of tracked spending has climbed from 18.2% to 21.2% over the last two years, while every older generation ceded share. The Millennial share slipped from 44.4% to 42.8% and Baby Boomers from 13.0% to 12.6%.
| Generation | 12 mo ending June 2024 | 12 mo ending June 2025 | 12 mo ending June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millennials | 44.4% | 43.7% | 42.8% |
| Generation X | 24.3% | 23.8% | 23.5% |
| Generation Z | 18.2% | 19.5% | 21.2% |
| Baby Boomers | 13.0% | 13.0% | 12.6% |
The mechanics favor continued movement in the same direction: more of Generation Z crosses the legal purchase threshold every month, and their category preferences arrive with them. Vapor pen and concentrate share grows with each cohort that enters; edible-heavy older wallets shrink as a proportion of the total.
The shift comes with a loyalty trade-off. Younger customers repurchase the brands they buy at lower rates: 37.1% for Generation Z against 42.7% for Baby Boomers, per Headset's cannabis brand loyalty benchmarks. Winning the fastest-growing segment means planning for the second purchase, not just the first.
Methodology
These figures come from Headset Insights: point-of-sale transaction data from licensed cannabis retailers across 15 US state markets (Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington). The current window covers the 12 months ending June 2026, more than $22 billion in tracked retail sales. Demographic attributes come from retailer point-of-sale customer records and are aggregated before analysis; no individual purchase data is used or published.
All figures are shares of dollar sales, not counts of people. Gender is reported as recorded in retailer point-of-sale systems, which capture male and female. Comparisons across time periods use share of tracked spending rather than dollar totals, because the retailer panel grows as new stores and markets join; shares are the comparable metric. Brand repurchase rates referenced on this page come from Headset's loyalty dataset, described in full on the brand loyalty page.
Cite This Data
Citing these figures is welcome. Source them as Headset and link to this page so readers can find the current numbers. Copy-and-paste attribution:
According to <a href="https://www.headset.io/data/cannabis-consumer-demographics">cannabis consumer demographics data from Headset</a>, Millennials account for 42.8% of US cannabis spending (June 2026).Figures on this page refresh on a recurring schedule; the date at the top reflects the current data. For press inquiries or custom analysis, contact Headset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What demographic consumes the most cannabis?
Measured by actual spending at licensed retailers, Millennials lead with 42.8% of US cannabis dollars, and Millennial men are the single largest segment at 28.5%. Purchase data measures spending rather than self-reported consumption, which is why these figures differ from survey-based estimates.
Who is the typical cannabis consumer?
The largest customer segment is a Millennial man buying flower, but the average conceals more than it reveals. Women account for 34.3% of spending with baskets that skew toward edibles and pre-rolls, and Generation Z, the fastest-growing group, prefers vapor pens over flower. An assortment built around one profile misses a third or more of the market.
What age group buys the most cannabis?
Millennials buy the most, accounting for 42.8% of tracked US cannabis spending in the 12 months ending June 2026. Generation X is second at 23.5%, Generation Z third at 21.2%, and Baby Boomers fourth at 12.6%.
What percentage of cannabis consumers are women?
Women account for 34.3% of cannabis spending in Headset's tracked US markets. That is a share of dollars rather than a count of customers. Women's spending skews toward edibles (14.1% of their dollars versus 10.4% for men), pre-rolls, and topicals.
Is Gen Z buying more cannabis?
Yes. Generation Z's share of tracked US cannabis spending rose from 18.2% to 21.2% in two years, and it is the only generation gaining share. The growth is structural: more of the generation passes legal purchase age every month, bringing a vapor-pen-first category preference with them.