MINNEAPOLIS -- Monica Wiant used to unwind in the evening with a glass of wine. Now, the 47-year-old Chanhassen, Minnesota, woman cracks open a THC seltzer or pops an edible instead.

Young women surpassed men in cannabis use in 2023, and a growing number of women from their 30s to their 50s are now finding a new nightcap in THC products, especially seltzers.

Seeing that opportunity, Minneapolis cannabis brands such as THC drink makers Gigli and Blncd and microdose edible company Mary & Jane are focusing on women with their marketing, packaging and social media campaigns.

“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,” Wiant said. “And for me, it just feels better.”More women choose cannabis over cocktails

Kam Talebi, founder of Kaskaid Hospitality, saw wine and beer sales in his restaurants slip. Kaskaid runs Crave, Union Rooftop and Brit’s Pub, among other places.

Since 2021, Talebi has added to his stable a CBD shop at the Mall of America.

After seeing sales of THC drinks take off there, he and partner Jared Day launched beverage company Gigli.

Since 2023, the company has sold more than 5 million cans of THC drinks, building the brand around female consumers. Talebi said more than 60% of sales are from women.

“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,” he said.

Entrepreneur Allison Vaillancourt, known more for her fashion and modeling ventures, became a Minnesota pioneer in the THC sphere with Blncd in 2018.

Her products have evolved as the laws in Minnesota have, first with hemp-derived CBD beverages and now mostly THC products.

Most of her customers are also women, ages 25 to 45.

She said Minnesota’s early acceptance of low-dose products and broad retail access has helped with wider appeal.

“Minnesota is really leading nationally in this low-dose market, especially on the beverage side,” she said.

More than a quarter of women ages 35 to 50 and more than 41% of women ages 19 to 30 reported using cannabis in 2024, according to the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research.

Research from the health care technology company Veriheal indicates that women tend to prefer cannabis products such as edibles, oils, topicals and beverages.

For Minnesotans like Wiant, who gave up alcohol two years ago, the appeal is simple. THC beverages are easy to find and easy for her to enjoy.

“A lot of people are reevaluating their relationship with alcohol,” Wiant said. “And at the same time, we’re also rethinking how we view cannabis as a society.”

More than 100 people, mostly women, answered a Minnesota Star Tribune social media shoutout, saying they had made the switch from alcohol to THC seltzers.

Traci Toomey, a longtime alcohol policy researcher who now leads the University of Minnesota’s Cannabis Research Center, said more Minnesotans are consuming THC seltzers and edibles rather than smoking flower, largely because those products have been the most available in recent years.

Minneapolis entrepreneurs Rachael Dillon and Laura Roos are mothers with active lifestyles who found alcohol did not fit their routines.

They founded Mary & Jane to reach women like themselves. Their first product, a micro-dose edible product called Sunny, pairs a 1 milligram dose of THC with the herb kanna. They made sure that the packaging and marketing had a feminine feel.

As a result, or at least helped by it, about 90% of Mary & Jane’s customers are women.Access and acceptance expand

What Wiant appreciates most is how accessible these products have become. Wiant 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 Toomey, who noted that women often view THC drinks and gummies as “less risky” because they’re sold in familiar, everyday places.

Its availability — from small shops to major retailers like Total Wine and now Target — has also made it more visible and normalized.

Several women in Wiant’s circle are exploring what’s known as being “California sober,” replacing alcohol with cannabis or other alternatives, especially as they enter perimenopause. Wiant said many of her friends are having similar experiences with alcohol: It just doesn’t feel good anymore.Policy and research race to keep up

The gender gap isn’t consistent across all products, Toomey said. In a 2024 survey conducted at the Minnesota State Fair, men were more likely than women to report using most THC products, including gummies, though beverage and medical use rates were about the same.

Toomey said much remains unknown about these newer products.

“We know the risks of alcohol use,” she said. “But we don’t know what the effects of these THC beverages are.”

Researchers at the Cannabis Research Center are now studying both the potential benefits and harms of cannabis use.

That rapid growth is also testing the industry itself. Despite strong sales and growing mainstream acceptance, some Minnesota hemp companies worry new state rules could flatten their momentum. THC drink makers say tighter labeling and testing requirements — part of the state’s new cannabis framework taking effect in 2026 — could slow production and squeeze smaller brands that helped popularize the low-dose market.

A coalition of manufacturers and retailers warned state officials recently that limited lab capacity and confusing labeling deadlines could create bottlenecks for hundreds of Minnesota businesses. With only a few licensed testing labs, producers fear delays that could pull popular beverages off shelves just as demand peaks.

While the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management has since issued new guidance meant to ease the transition, many in the industry remain cautious, uncertain whether the state’s first wave of THC success can withstand the next wave of regulation.

Maren Schroeder, director of advocacy and public affairs for Minnesota cannabis consultancy Blunt Strategies, believes the growing popularity of low-dose THC beverages — especially among women — could help shape the next phase of cannabis policy in Minnesota.

“As legislators and regulators start seeing this industry responsibly roll out, we’ll see opportunities to make it easier for businesses to operate and for consumers to make that choice,” she said.

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