Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis legalization and opioid use, cannabis marketing trends, an edible from a well-known brewing company and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Opioid Use
A new study has found that legalizing cannabis is associated with “significant reductions in opioid prescribing.”
So says Kyle Jaeger, reporting on a study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia and University of Colorado for Marijuana Moment. According to Jaeger, the research team analyzed prescription claims for 15 to 20 million insured Americans annually from 2007-2020, comparing the prevalence of opioid prescriptions in states with and without medical cannabis programs in place.
Wrote the researchers in an article published in the American Journal of Health Economics, “We find that [medical cannabis laws, or MCLs] are associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.”
They also found that, “Among treated states, the rate of patients receiving opioid prescriptions fell by 16 percent on average, masking substantial heterogeneity across states, with individual state declines reaching 22 percent.”
The authors believe their findings support the potential of legal medical cannabis as a policy tool for reducing opioid use and promoting safer pain management.
In his article, Jaeger notes that the authors also contend that the study provides one of the first estimates on the impact of medical marijuana legalization laws being adopted based on “patient level characteristics.”
Wrote the researchers, “This study provides robust evidence that the adoption of MCLs is associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing among commercially insured populations. Using a rich dataset of 15 to 20 million commercially insured individuals per year from 2007 to 2020 and a state-specific synthetic control design, we find that MCLs reduce the rate of patients receiving opioid prescriptions by approximately 16 percent on average across treated states. Reductions are also evident at the intensive margin: patients receive fewer prescriptions and shorter opioid supplies per prescription.”
Jaeger also points out that Australian researchers recently published a separate study that showed that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment.
As always, Kyle Jaeger’s reporting is clear and concise. To learn more, we urge you to read his article in the October 15, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
The Shape of Things to Come
Gone are the days when growers and dispensaries develop a new strain, open the doors and hope for the best.
According to the folks at MJBizDaily, the cannabis industry is entering a new era of innovation and sophistication, with marketing strategies evolving to meet the demands of various markets, many of which are at different stages of maturity.
In a recent article, the publication’s staff identified a number of trends that they believe are shaping the ways in which cannabis businesses are navigating regulatory challenges and connecting with their audiences.
Here are a few examples.
• Hyper-personalized consumer experiences powered by AI
Instead of one-size-fits-all marketing efforts, the MJBizDaily staff reports that cannabis brands are now using AI to craft highly tailored consumer experiences.
According to Rocco Del Priore, co-founder of Burbank, California-based software provider Sweed, this can be anything from personalized product recommendations based on individual preferences and past purchases to customer-tailored packaging and loyalty programs and everything in between.
This approach also reflects the fact that consumers have come to expect advice, from budtenders and others, catered to their specific needs, whether for medicinal purposes or recreational use, making personalization a potential game-changer.
• Experiential and immersive marketing
Cannabis brands are creating immersive destinations and experiences for consumers. This trend is said to involve engaging all the senses in order to foster what the article describes as a deeper connection to the plant and the brand.
This approach can involve virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) tours of cultivation facilities, interactive tasting events, educational workshops and sophisticated consumption lounges.
According to a blog post from New Jersey-based cannabis public relations firm NisonCo, “The AR and VR cannabis experience benefits both cultivators and dispensaries from a marketing perspective. It enables them to reach a larger audience and avoid stringent marketing restrictions on the cannabis industry.”
Pop-up shops and cannabis festivals can also be part of this more interactive marketing trend, making the consumer journey more holistic and memorable.
• Sustainability and transparency as core brand values
Consumers are demanding greater transparency about the sourcing and production of cannabis products. Think of it as a different take on the “seed to sale” mindset.
It’s thought that brands that prioritize and showcase their sustainable practices – from organic farming methods and energy-efficient manufacturing to carbon-neutral delivery options and eco-friendly packaging – are likely to have a competitive advantage when engaging with consumers.
This notion was echoed in a blog post by Envrioncann, an organization that provides certification programs for the cannabis industry. It read, “Today’s consumers – especially Gen Z and millennials – are deeply invested in ethical purchasing. They want to support brands that align with their values. Cannabis is no exception.”
As a result, marketing efforts need to highlight product quality, ethical practices and environmental responsibility if a company wants to connect with environmentally aware consumers.
As with most MJBizDaily stories that carry the staff byline, the article, which appeared in the publication’s October 20, 2025 issue, is engaging and offers practical examples. Click on the following link if you care to learn more.
https://mjbizdaily.com/5-cannabis-marketing-trends-redefining-the-industry/
Consumer Corner
When searching for a nightcap, a growing number of women in Minnesota are turning to THC products, especially seltzers. So says Emmy Martin in an article she penned for the Minnesota Star Tribune.
According to Martin, a number of Minnesota cannabis brands, such as THC drink makers Gigli and Blncd, and the microdose edible company Mary & Jane, have responded to this trend by focusing on women when designing their marketing, packaging and social media campaigns.
Said Kam Talebi, co-founder of the cannabis beverage company Gigli, “As people move away from wine and alcohol, THC is now becoming a real, legitimate option for people to consider and customers are moving toward it.”
Talebi also told Martin that 60 percent of his company’s sales are to women.
In her article, Martin also tells the story of Minneapolis entrepreneurs Rachael Dillon and Laura Roos — two mothers with active lifestyles — who founded the cannabis company Mary & Jane to reach women such as themselves.
Their company’s first product was a micro-dose edible, called Sunny, that paired a 1 milligram dose of THC with the herb kanna. They also made sure that the packaging and marketing had a feminine feel.
They believe this attention to detail helped them reach female consumers and their sales figures— about 90 percent of Mary & Jane’s customers are women — confirm that belief.
One consumer of cannabis beverages, Monica Wiant, told Martin, “If you like to sit down and unwind with a glass of wine at the end of the day, you can switch out for a seltzer and get a similar effect without the hangover. And for me, it just feels better.”
Wiant, who gave up alcohol two years ago, added that the appeal of THC beverages is simple — they are easy to find and easy for her to enjoy. For example, she can grab a THC seltzer at her local liquor store instead of walking into a dispensary — an experience that can feel intimidating for those less familiar with cannabis.
That accessibility may be part of the appeal, said Traci Toomey, a longtime alcohol policy researcher who now leads the University of Minnesota’s Cannabis Research Center. She noted that women often view THC drinks and gummies as “less risky” because they’re sold in familiar, everyday places.
Toomey believes that more Minnesotans are consuming THC seltzers and edibles, rather than smoking flower, because those products have been the most available in recent years.
Martin also made the point that availability — from small shops to major retailers like Total Wine and now Target — has also made THC beverages more visible and consuming them “normalized.”
Some say that Minnesota’s relatively relaxed regulatory system, when it comes to cannabis beverages, has helped to fuel the growth in availability and is one of the reasons Target decided to pilot its sale of THC beverages in the state.
Emmy Martin’s reporting is insightful and revealing. To learn more, we suggest reading her article in the October 24, 2025 issue of the StarTribune.com.
https://www.startribune.com/thc-seltzers-more-women-swap-out-alcohol-switch/601492264
New Product Showcase
A well-known brewing company has launched a line of cannabis gummies in Canada. Emerald Hour, the non-alcoholic cannabis cocktail brand from The Boston Beer Company, has created new cocktail-inspired THC gummies, which are infused with live rosin and solventless cannabis diamonds.
The company sees the gummies as an expansion of the brand’s existing lineup of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic cannabis cocktails. The first product in the line is a Peach & White Grape gummy described as “a flavourful nod to the refreshing brunch classic.”
Each Emerald Hour gummy is 100 percent vegan and contains 5mg of THC. Two Emerald Hour craft cannabis gummies are packaged in discreet purse- and pocket-friendly two-pack containers.
According to the folks at Lefly, live rosin is a solventless cannabis concentrate made from fresh-frozen cannabis plants. Frozen plants are placed in a rosin press, which uses heat and pressure to extract a hot oil from the plants, which is rosin. The “live” in live rosin means frozen plants were used as the source material, which is said to preserve the plant’s terpenes and cannabinoids.
Solventless diamonds are clear-colored chunks of crystallized THCA that are extracted without the use of solvents. THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, is the “raw” precursor to THC.
Since THCA has to be heated to become THC, we are not sure how including these diamonds in an edible is beneficial, but this is the Boston Brewing Company after all — the makers of Sam Adams beer — so for the moment we will assume these folks know what they are doing when it comes to creating a consumer product.
Said Paul Weaver, the Toronto-based head of cannabis for Boston Beer, “Boston Beer Company is renowned for crafting high-quality beverages, and we bring that same commitment to excellence to our gummies. Emerald Hour gummies are made for the discerning cannabis consumer. Infused with live rosin and solventless diamonds, they deliver a full-spectrum cannabis experience in pocket-friendly, sustainable packaging.”
To learn more about the full line of Emerald Hour cannabis products, including its new gummies, click on the link that follows.
Cannabis News and Notes
A new study conducted by researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) and the University of Kentucky, has found that more Americans now use marijuana than smoke cigarettes.
That’s the word from Tom Angell, reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Angell, the research team claims to have provided what they called the “most comprehensive” analysis of trends in adults who use only cannabis, only tobacco or both from 2015-2023. Their work revealed what they described as a consistent decline in cigarette smoking as marijuana consumption rose.
The research team used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) covering the period from 2021 to 2023. The survey showed that the percentage of people who reported using only cannabis in the past 30 days “rose sharply” from 7.2 percent to 10.6 percent—overtaking cigarette-only use — which declined during that period.
Angell noted that the researchers, writing in the Journal of Addictive Behaviors, said that the evolving trends in use of the two substances could be evidence of a “substitution” effect amid “changing harm perceptions, evolving legislation, and shifting norms.”
Said the researchers, “Cannabis-only use increased from 3.9 percent to 6.5 percent in 2015–2019, was 7.1 percent in 2020, and increased again from 7.9 percent to 10.6 percent in 2021–2023. Cigarette-only use decreased from 15.0 percent to 12.0 percent in 2015–2019, was 10.3 percent in 2020, and declined again from 10.8 percent to 8.8 percent in 2021–2023. Co-use was relatively stable across the different periods.”
The researchers also stated, “The rising cannabis-only use across groups parallels the expanding state-level recreational cannabis legalization, increasing accessibility and normalization. Conversely, continued declines in cigarette-only use align with decades of tobacco control efforts and evolving norms surrounding smoking. The relatively stable co-use trends may reflect substitution dynamics whereby some individuals replace cigarettes with cannabis, preventing co-use from rising in tandem with cannabis-only use.”
Angell makes the point that the study revealed that cigarette-only use was most prevalent “among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults (with lower education, income, or lacking insurance).” At the same time, cannabis-only use “predominated among more socioeconomically advantaged groups (college-educated, high-income, and privately insured).”
The authors of the study also acknowledged that the “surge in cannabis use” as “tobacco use wanes” represents “a worrisome trend among adults,” adding that, “Without timely policy response, cannabis may become the next public health crisis.”
Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. His reporting, as always, is thoughtful and on point. To learn more, we suggest reading his article in the October 24, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com or at 347-528-8753.