Potheads are driving an inordinate amount of business to food delivery apps and fast-food restaurants.
That’s according to data out this week from consumer insights firm Numerator, which shows that people who use pot are far more likely to visit limited-service restaurants and use food delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats than non-users.
The results are based on surveys of nearly 6,000 current and former THC and CBD users.
The link between pot consumption and food delivery is especially strong. Cannabis users are 65% more likely to have ordered from DoorDash in the past three months and 35% more likely to have used Uber Eats.
The figures are even starker among people who get high daily. They’re 142% more likely to have ordered from DoorDash, though just 32% for Uber Eats.
These folks also tend to be heavy users of fast food in general. THC users were 31% more likely to have ordered Little Caesars in the past three months, the strongest link between pot and any chain. Other favorites include Jersey Mike’s (28%), Taco Bell (22%), Jack in the Box (22%), Pizza Hut (19%), Domino’s (19%) and Popeyes (16%). Convenience-store chain Wawa also made the list at 17%.
The numbers are notable for restaurants, as weed users almost certainly account for a chunk of their audience. According to the CDC, about 18% of Americans, or 48.2 million people, used marijuana at least once in 2019, making it the most popular federally illegal drug in the U.S.
Those who do use it tend to do so often, per Numerator. About 4 out of 10 respondents told the researcher they consume THC daily, while 26% said they use it a few times a week.
According to Numerator, these consumers are typically millennials and Gen Zers who earn less then $60,000 a year. Their preferred format by far is edible gummies or chocolates (67%) followed by flower (48%).
Stoners have been a frequent target of QSR marketing for years. Jack in the Box, for instance, has offered a Munchie Meal that was available only late at night, and Taco Bell has long courted the THC-friendly with a wink and a nudge. 4/20, meanwhile, is now a veritable holiday on the restaurant promotional calendar.
Weed is now legal recreationally in 24 states, and restaurants who depend on customers who are under the influence can expect that business stream to continue: According to Numerator, 78% of THC users plan to maintain their habit this year, and 11% expect it to increase.
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