Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1.     My one segment for this assignment is finding people who are medical marijuana patients, and what they do when they need more medicine.

2.     Because medical marijuana is only recently legal in Florida, I reached out to my friend Emily in Laguna Beach, California, who’s father owns a recreational marijuana farm. Because California has had years in both the medical and recreational industry, I knew she’d know some patients. She herself (female, 20) is a patient for anxiety, her roommate (female, 22) is a patient for severe menstrual cramps and headaches, and Emily boyfriend is also a patient for anxiety.

3.     According to all three of the interviewees, they can only buy a certain amount of product at one time, so they tend to run out of the drug frequently. In California, they say it’s very easy to be registered as a patient, and anyone over the age of 21 can legally buy the substance, so it’s common to find many dispensaries in one area. My friend Emily said that when she goes through an anxiety attack, she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving the house, so she uses a delivery company or has a friend get the medicine for her. The other two interviewees also agreed that their need awareness is most prevalent the day they feel symptoms of their disorder, and that there are many ways to not get the prescription themselves.

4.     Because Emily’s father operates a farm, they usually have product on-hand for her at all times, which is often the solution to her problem. Her roommate said that now marijuana is legal for recreational use, the easiest solution is asking a friend to get the drug rather than paying a delivery fee. Emily’s boyfriend also agreed, and said that often times Emily gives him THC/CBD products for free, which is easiest and cheapest for him. So, their sources for information is either the many dispensaries in California or Emily herself, since her dad is educated in the field and knows about every product.

5.     I believe for this assignment, I talked to the right people but their experiences aren’t necessarily applicable to the marijuana situation in Florida. Because access to marijuana is easy for anyone 21+, and getting a medical card is just as easy, there’s many businesses that have capitalized on the delivery system. To them, it seems that there’s enough dispensary businesses already. However, patients and dispensaries are less common in Florida because the law is so new. They did say that my idea would likely be profitable in Florida, especially by a big hospital, and that my personality and graphic design skills will help my brand stand out here.

6.     From these interviews, I learned that after a few years of legal marijuana in California, dispensaries are everywhere and the delivery idea is nothing new. There are also other ways to get around delivery fees/wait times. HOWEVER, this is in California – not Florida. I believe that this would be something unique to Gainesville and the patients here.