States that have legalized adult cannabis use are experiencing the munchies more so than in states where marijuana remains illegal.
Sales of salty and sweet snacks have undergone a remarkable increase over the past year ending on April 27, with candy and snacks sales rising faster in legal cannabis states, according to recently announced Nielsen data.
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Their numbers illustrate that candy sales grew by 2 percent in states with legal pot, compared to just 1.3 percent in states without reformed cannabis laws. Snack sales grew 7.2 percent in legal states, compared to 6 percent elsewhere.
Nielsen says that the “munchies” are creating “big opportunities for the American food and beverage market—particularly for the snack and confectionery category.”
Overall, salty snacks sales reached $29.9 billion and sweet snacks had sales of $6.5 billion.
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Cannabis has been legalized or decriminalized in some form in over half of the U.S., but only 11 states plus Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational adult use.
“The increase in sales starts at the time of the legislation becomes effective,” the report added.
Nielsen also notes that CBD edibles, which have little to no THC, “present a $6 billion opportunity for the food and beverage industry.”
Oscar Pascual is the editor of Smell the Truth, syndicated on GreenState and SFGATE. Smell The Truth is one of the internet’s most popular destinations for cannabis-related news and culture. This blog is not written or edited by Hearst. The authors are solely responsible for the content.