U.S latinos spend about $2.5 billion on cannabis, national study reveals

A national organization recently conducted the first-ever study to provide an overview of the U.S. Hispanic community’s perception, attitudes towards and usage of cannabis.

In partnership with Q & A Research Inc., the National Hispanic Cannabis Council (NHCC) — a nonprofit that advocates for economic empowerment of Hispanics in the emerging cannabis industry — conducted its 2023 U.S. Hispanic Cannabis Awareness & Perception Study, the organization announced Tuesday. A key finding from the survey is that 40% of respondents use cannabis on a monthly basis, indicating that potentially 2.5 million Hispanic “acculturated” or “bicultural” adults across the country may be regular cannabis users.

That group is estimated to spend about $2.5 billion annually on cannabis, according to the NHCC.

Given that New Jersey boasts a diverse population of almost 9.3 million, with Hispanic people comprising 22% of this demographic, industry leaders in the state’s cannabis sector say that this study’s insights could help inform the local landscape and its future.

Jessica Gonzalez, an attorney and cannabis policy advocate, highlighted that the substantial number of Hispanic cannabis users, as revealed by the study, underscores the industry’s need to invest in translating more training and materials into Spanish.

“While I am happy to read about our buying power and our attitudes towards cannabis, we still need a lot more work to educate the Latino community and meeting them where they are in terms of their language barriers in terms of their citizenship status,” said Gonzalez, a consultant helping to launch the New Jersey Business Action Center’s free Cannabis Technical Assistance Program and Training Academy.

Gonzalez, who immigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador when she was three, also emphasized that the Hispanic people are not monolithic and it is also crucial to provide support for those who are undocumented.

The NHCC’s surveyed audience found it important to support Latino-owned cannabis businesses and products, at a rate higher than other published studies, according to the report. Also, the report says Hispanic consumers are more likely to support Hispanic-owned cannabis businesses and products.

And, while opinions on marijuana seem to be shifting, many still agree that there is a stigma taboo around cannabis in the community, said Antonio Valdez, executive director of the NHCC. Joshua Alb, founder of Cannademix and a cannabis business license holder, observes that in his community, there remains a lingering taboo around cannabis among the older generations. However, he notices a positive shift in attitudes among younger individuals.

He also sees the insights provided in the report regarding the buying behavior of the Hispanic community and the potential for Latino-owned businesses to thrive, ringing true for New Jersey.

“New Jersey has the ability to really demonstrate that buying power with –really an unknown ceiling at the moment because the fact that it hasn’t truly been tested here,” said Alb, who hosts educational cannabis events, including a forthcoming networking party to mark Hispanic Heritage Month.