Photo: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Generation Z American consumers have come up in a time when cannabis consumption is growing more acceptable and it is anticipated that this demographic will be "twice as likely as the average American to use cannabis," Bloomberg reports.
Backdrop: In communities where the substance has been legalized for medical and recreational use, the minimum age to purchase marijuana is typically 21, so only a fraction of Gen Z — born between the late-1990s to mid-2000s — is old enough to partake. Last year, this demographic only accounted for 1% of legal marijuana consumers, but that number has nearly tripled this year, according to Bloomberg.
"It’s always hard to generalize about an entire age group, but early signs suggest it will be a generation of marijuana consumers, embracing legal pot to unwind or treat ailments," per Bloomberg.
Gen Z is the first generation born into an era where discussions about marijuana legalization are more mainstream as states legalize the drug, and the idea of federal legalization is thrown around.
Go deeper: 4/20 sells high: Corporate America embraces marijuana's big day