Love & Cannabis: How Relationship Status Shapes Consumption Trends

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the season of love is an opportunity to explore how relationship status influences cannabis consumption. Whether single, married, or in a relationship, consumers engage with cannabis in ways that reflect their lifestyles and priorities. Brightfield Group’s H2 2024 data provides a closer look at how love—or the lack thereof—shapes cannabis habits across different groups.

Singles: Frequent Consumers with a Social Edge 

Single consumers make up the largest share of the cannabis market, representing 41.1% of all users. This group skews more male (58.8% vs. 51.7% overall) and is more likely to fall within middle- and lower-income brackets ($40K–$75K and below). Singles are also among the most frequent consumers, with a 3% higher rate of daily or multiple-times-daily use compared to the general population.

For many single consumers, cannabis is a long-standing part of their lifestyle—they over-index by 3.3% as consistent users. Their consumption is broad and occasion-driven, spanning relaxation, focus, and creativity. Singles are more likely than other groups to use cannabis for fun and exploration, reflecting a more recreational approach. Whether it's for a solo night in or a social outing, their usage is flexible, making this segment a prime audience for products that emphasize variety, potency, and novelty. 

Married Consumers: Wellness-Oriented and Moderate Users 

Married consumers account for 28.5% of the market and tend to be older, with a gender balance that mirrors the broader consumer base. Their consumption patterns are more moderate, often falling into the daily-to-weekly range rather than multiple times per day. Compared to singles and partnered users, married consumers show a stronger preference for vapes and edibles, favoring products that align with wellness and discretion over flower and pre-rolls. 

Married users also over-index as medical cannabis consumers (58.8% vs. 48.2% overall), with many being on-and-off or returning users who turn to cannabis for pain relief, sleep, and stress management. Notably, they are the group most likely to use cannabis for athletic recovery (10.6%), indicating a functional, health-conscious approach. For brands, this segment presents opportunities to emphasize consistent dosing, therapeutic benefits, and premium wellness-oriented products. 

Partnered Consumers: Heavy Users with a Social and Relaxation Focus 

Consumers in relationships but not married make up 15.8% of cannabis users. This group skews younger, leans heavily female (61.4%), and is concentrated in middle-income brackets. Partnered users are among the heaviest consumers, with 52.5% using cannabis multiple times daily, slightly above the overall average.

Unlike married consumers, partnered users show strong preferences for inhalable products, particularly flower, pre-rolls, and concentrates. One standout behavior is their high usage of smoking accessories, especially blunt wrappers—36.1% of partnered users purchase them, compared to 27.2% overall. Relaxation is their primary motivation, cited by 76.7%, nearly ten percentage points higher than other groups. Sleep and physical relief are also common reasons for use, blending recreational and wellness-driven consumption habits. 

Love, Cannabis, and Social Rituals

The way people incorporate cannabis into their lives goes beyond solo use—it plays a growing role in social and romantic settings. Brightfield Group’s H1 2024 data on alcohol and cannabis use by occasion reveals how relationship dynamics influence consumption habits.

Cannabis dominates before bed and during home duties, suggesting many consumers turn to it for relaxation and unwinding at home rather than alcohol. But when it comes to date nights and family gatherings, alcohol and cannabis are often used together, reflecting a more social approach to consumption. This highlights a shift—while alcohol has traditionally been the go-to for romantic occasions, cannabis is becoming an increasingly accepted (and desired) part of date night rituals.

What This Means for Brands  

Valentine’s Day marketing isn’t just about romantic love—it’s also an opportunity to engage different consumer groups based on their cannabis habits. 

• Singles prioritize variety and potency, making high-THC products and inhalables strong contenders. Messaging that highlights social, creative, and exploratory experiences will resonate most. 
• Married consumers lean toward wellness and discretion, favoring vapes, edibles, and functional cannabis products. Consistency, health benefits, and relaxation should be central themes in brand messaging. 
• Partnered users gravitate toward flower, pre-rolls, and smoking accessories, making them a prime audience for lifestyle-driven marketing, limited-edition products, and social-use campaigns.
• Alcohol and cannabis increasingly intersect in modern love and social rituals, giving brands an opportunity to position their products as essentials for connection, relaxation, and shared experiences.

As the cannabis market grows more diverse, nuanced consumer insights are the key to unlocking new opportunities. Are you ready to gain deeper insights into your target audience and what resonates with them? Contact us to learn how integrating survey data with social insights can elevate your brand’s connection with consumers across all relationship statuses—not just on Valentine’s Day, but year-round. .

 Updated: 02/10/2025