Consumer Insights on THC Beverage Drops

If you’re curious about THC drops for beverages, here’s what you need to know in a nutshell:

Consumer Preferences: People love fruit-flavored THC drops, desire more potent options (preferably 10mg or more per serving), and want better packaging, including droppers for precise dosing and childproof features.
Market Projections: The THC beverage market is booming, with expectations to reach $2.8 billion by 2025. THC drops are especially popular for their fast action, ease of dosing, and the ability to mix them into any drink.
Product Improvement Opportunities: Users are looking for real fruit flavors to mask the cannabis taste, potency variations to cater to different needs, and innovative packaging solutions.
Impact on the Cannabis Beverages Category: THC drops are seen as a game-changer, offering faster absorption, discreet usage, and customizable dosing compared to other cannabis products.

This quick overview covers the key findings from a study on consumer insights regarding THC beverage drops, highlighting preferences, market trends, and areas for product improvement.

Relevance for the Cannabis Beverage Market

THC drops can be added to any drink, making them very flexible and easy to use. They might even work better and faster than the cannabis drinks you can buy already made. With people interested in trying small doses (microdosing) and feeling effects quickly, THC drops could become a big deal in the cannabis drink market. This study helps companies know what users want so they can make products that will sell well.

How We Did the Study

Our Research Method

We asked 413 people over 21 years old from states where it’s okay to use THC for fun or health to fill out a survey online. This survey took about 15 minutes and had different kinds of questions – some where they could pick from options, some where they rated things, and some where they could write their answers. This mix helped us understand not just what people think, but also why they think that way.

Who Took Part

Gender: 63% men, 37% women
Age groups:
- 21-30 years: 29%
- 31-40 years: 38%
- 41-50 years: 19%
- Over 51 years: 14%
How often they use THC drinks:
- Every day: 14%
- Every week: 29%
- Every month: 36%
- Once or twice: 21%
Why they use them:
- For fun: 67%
- For health or wellness: 19%
- To help with pain, anxiety, or sleep: 14%

Where They’re From

The people who took our survey live in these 10 states where THC is legal:

California
Colorado
Illinois
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Nevada
Oregon
Vermont
Washington

This group gives us a good idea of what people might like or not like in places where it’s legal to use THC. But remember, this doesn’t cover everywhere, especially places where you can only use THC for medical reasons.

Consumer Preferences

Flavors

People who use THC beverage drops really like fruit flavors the best, with 42% choosing them over other types. Younger people, especially those aged 21-30, go for sweet, candy-like flavors such as watermelon and sour apple. The 31-40 age group prefers flavors that taste more like real fruit, like lemon and orange. Older consumers, those 41 and up, like simple, not-too-sweet flavors such as strawberry and grapefruit.

Some folks, about 14%, enjoy drops with flavors from herbs like lavender or chamomile. This preference doesn’t change much with age or where people live.

Potency

Most people (59%) think the THC drops they’ve tried aren’t strong enough. They want drops with at least 10mg THC in each serving. Some even want stronger drops, with 15-25mg THC. But, people using drops for health reasons usually prefer less THC, about 5-10mg, with some CBD mixed in to help them relax without feeling too high.

Packaging

More than half of the people (53%) said the packaging for THC drops could be better. They suggested:

Small single-use packets: These are easy to carry around.
Big bottles for many uses: Saves money for those who use drops regularly at home.
Droppers in the bottle: Makes measuring the dose easier.
Safety caps: Keeps kids from accidentally using them.

Comparison to Other Consumption Methods

People think THC drops have some big pluses compared to other ways to use THC:

Quick to work: Drops work faster than edibles, taking about 30-60 minutes to feel effects.
Easy to control: It’s simple to measure how much you’re using and mix it into drinks.
Low-key: Drops don’t smell or taste as much like cannabis, so they’re more private to use.

Most folks (83%) find THC drops better than ready-made cannabis drinks. They like that drops work quicker, are easier to dose, and let them mix with their favorite drinks. But, some people still like the ease of drinks that are ready to go.

Satisfaction Levels

Let’s talk about how happy people are with the taste, how fast they feel the effects, and how easy THC drops are to use.

Taste

Only 37% of folks really like how THC drops taste. Here’s what some don’t like:

They’re too bitter or taste too much like weed (42%)
Not enough different flavors (29%)
Some flavors feel fake or too much like candy (19%)

People would rather have more natural fruit flavors that cover up the weed taste but aren’t too sweet.

Onset and Duration

Most people (71%) think THC drops start working pretty fast, usually in about 30-45 minutes. This is quicker than edibles.

But, 36% wish the feeling lasted longer. Right now, it lasts about 2-3 hours, but they’d like it to last 4-6 hours, more like edibles.

Ease of Use

More than half of the people (58%) find THC drops easy to use because:

You can measure how much you’re taking with a dropper
It’s simple to mix them into any drink
They’re more private than other THC products
You can easily control how much you take

However, 42% have some trouble with THC drops:

It’s hard to get the same amount every time (29%)
Mixing them into drinks doesn’t always work well (19%)
They can be messy if the bottle leaks or spills (13%)

Making the dropper better, finding easier ways to mix them, and using leak-proof bottles could help make using THC drops smoother for everyone.

Opportunities for Product Improvement

Taste Enhancement

To make THC beverage drops taste better, companies could:

Add more real fruit flavors like lemon and berry. These should cover up the cannabis taste without making it too sweet.
Use natural sweeteners like honey to hide the bitter taste.
Try out different flavors, not just fruit ones. Think about using plants like lavender or spices like ginger.
Cut down on the sugar in candy-flavored drops to make them more suitable for adults.
Make flavors that go well with common drinks like coffee or tea.

Potency Adjustments

To get the strength of the drops just right, companies should:

Create stronger options with 10-25mg THC for those who want it.
Also have lighter options with 2.5-5mg THC for people looking for health benefits or who are new to cannabis.
Make sure to follow the law on how much THC can be in each serving and label it clearly.
Think about making products where users can pick how strong they want it each time they use it.

Packaging Innovation

To improve packaging, companies could:

Use single-use packs for easy carrying.
Offer larger bottles for those who use it often, to save money.
Include droppers in bottles for easy use without making a mess.
Make sure caps are childproof to keep kids safe.
Use seals on the packaging to show it hasn’t been opened before.
Choose packaging that keeps light out to protect the drops.

Product Integration

To make sure THC drops mix well into drinks, brands could:

Work on the formula so it mixes smoothly into any drink.
Give clear instructions on how to mix drops with different kinds of drinks.
Make drops that blend well and don’t leave bits floating in your drink.

Impact on the Cannabis Beverages Category

Market Projections

From what people told us, there’s a big chance for THC drinks to become more popular. About 59% of people we asked said they want stronger THC drops than what’s currently available. And 83% like using drops more than the cannabis drinks you can buy right now. This means there’s a lot of room for new and better products.

Experts think the money made from cannabis drinks will jump from $317 million in 2020 to $2.8 billion by 2025. That’s a huge increase! As more places allow cannabis and more people are open to trying it, this area could grow even faster. THC drinks might make up more than 20% of all cannabis drink sales by 2025.

So, companies that listen to what people want, like tastier flavors and drops that are easy to use and dose, could really stand out as this market grows.

Product Development Trends

Companies are already working on making THC drinks and drops that people want. They’re focusing on making:

Stronger products: Some are making drops with 10-25mg of THC in each serving. There are even products with more than 50mg THC.
Quick to feel: New technology is being used to make THC work faster, aiming to start feeling effects in 15-30 minutes.
More flavors: Besides fruit flavors, there are now options like lavender and even coffee or tea flavors. They’re also using natural sweeteners to avoid that candy taste.
Custom options: Products like drops let you add THC to your own drinks, letting you choose how much you want.
Easy to carry: There are single-use packets and pods that make it simple to take your THC with you.

As these products get better, it’s important for companies to keep safety in mind. This means clear labels, packaging that kids can’t open, and selling only where it’s legal.

Competitive Landscape

Dosist is a company that makes special formulas for different feelings like happiness, love, and relaxation. They’re known for making sure you get the same amount of THC every time you use their products.

Stillwater stands out for making THC and CBD that dissolve in water quickly. This means their products start working faster than many others.

Other important companies in the THC beverage drops area include:

Canopy Growth – They make a bunch of THC drinks and are always coming up with new ideas. They recently started selling Quatreau, a drink with CBD that sparkles like water.
Hexo Corp – They create drinks mixed with cannabis, including both THC and CBD options. Their "Veryvell" brand has drops and sparkling waters.
The Alkaline Water Co – They made a deal to start selling drinks mixed with cannabis in the US, adding to their line of alkaline and CBD waters.

Many companies are working on making their products absorb faster, dose more precisely, taste better, and offer more choices. As the market gets bigger, companies will also have to think about safety, being open about what’s in their products, caring for the environment, and having a positive impact on communities. They’ll also have to deal with rules, production costs, getting their products to customers, and teaching people about what they’re selling. Companies that can stand out by handling these issues well could take a big part of the market.

Conclusion

Key Takeaways

The main points from this study tell us what THC drink drop companies should think about to make their products better:

Use real fruit tastes to hide the weed flavor without making it too sweet. Flavors like lemon, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, and mixed berry are popular with most people.
Have different strengths for the drops. Some people want a stronger effect with 10-25mg of THC, while others who are more into health benefits prefer a softer touch with 5-10mg and some CBD.
Make the packaging better by adding easy-to-carry single packs, bigger bottles for those who use it a lot, droppers for accurate measuring, and safety caps to keep kids out.

Growth Potential

Looking ahead, THC drink drops have a big chance to do well. They’re expected to be worth $2.8 billion by 2025, and more people are getting comfortable with cannabis. These drops work faster than food, are easy to measure, and let people make their drinks just the way they like.

As more places say it’s okay to use cannabis just for fun, companies that listen to what people want in terms of taste, strength, and easy use could become very popular in this growing part of the market.