Cannabis Consumer Purchasing Patterns Are Changing The Way Companies Sell Marijuana
By Karlton Jahmal
{Sponsored} Typically, smoking cannabis comes with the task of rolling. But thankfully, things are slowly beginning to parallel the tobacco industry when it comes to customer convenience. Pre-rolled cones and pre-rolled joints have been flying off of the shelves, thanks to Millennial and Gen. Z smokers, who lean towards convenience when they visit their local marijuana dispensary.
Those two generations lead all cannabis consumers in purchases, and will encompass the vast majority of legal marijuana sales by the end of the year. The demand is so high right now that many cannabis consumers have been left wondering where to buy RAW cones to save themselves the time and trouble of rolling.
The rise in cannabis’ popularity during the pandemic was no coincidence. People were stuck inside of their homes and many businesses were forced to shut their doors — some indefinitely. There were job and product shortages in practically every industry. Remember the whole thing with toilet paper last spring? Well, the cannabis industry at large faced a similar surge in demand.
In Canada and U.S. states where recreational cannabis is legal, sales skyrocketed. It was a blessing in disguise for most cannabis businesses but they also faced setbacks because of the effects that social distancing measures had on the industry.
This heavily impacted the production of rolling papers and the factories that make them. RAW cones, specifically, have been selling out quickly across markets which, in a sense, could’ve hindered sales. You see, many cannabis manufacturers and distributors are using RAW cones to sell pre-rolled joints. But as the demand increases and production slows down, some dispensaries faced roadblocks in meeting the needs of their customers.
Alcoy, a region in Spain, has been the hotbed for rolling paper production for a very long time. The first paper mills created specifically for tobacco popped up there in the 1700s and continue to produce the papers that we’ve all grown to love today. Spain was among the countries hit hardest by the pandemic so, naturally, the social distancing measures put in place greatly impacted production and distribution.
HBI sales executive Niles Van Buren explained that the paper industry has faced a shortage in the sense that they haven’t been able to satisfy the demands in the market. “If you define a shortage as not having enough cones to satisfy market demand, then yes there is a shortage, however, we are actually making more cones than ever before,” Van Buren explained in an interview. Though he also explained the need for quality surpasses the need for quantity when it comes to their products. “It would be great if we could immediately meet the demand, but it is more important to us to maintain our quality standards than to crank out more products that could be subpar.”
The increased presence and popularity of pre-rolled cones is a luxury that many young people are taking advantage of. Young consumers seem to greatly enjoy the simplicity of stuffing a cone, twisting it off, and sparking it up. The result is a perfect, slow, and evenly burning joint or spliff every time. Cannabis connoisseurs appreciate pre-rolled cones because they’re among the best ways to fully taste the terpenes of their sweet flower.
Millennials are still driving the cannabis market, accounting for 50% of the market share, according to Scott Cy, CEO of cannabis analytics company Headset. He explained his theory behind why both Millennials and Gen. Zers have been driving sales in the pre-roll category and, as it turns out, it all comes down to affordability.
“Some of our assumptions around that are related to pre-rolls being a relatively inexpensive product; you could buy a single-pack pre-roll for pretty cheap. So they are purchasing a lot of units of that,” said Cy, adding that they are also the leading consumers for concentrate products and edibles.
As proof of the rise in “convenience smoking,” we have seen an increase in the sales of mini-pre rolls as well. The ever-convenient dog walkers pre-rolls are adorably and efficiently small yet powerful. These mini pre-rolled cones are perfect for a quick smoke and were made with the intention of enjoying while walking your dog. Even though they’re small, they are the perfect accessory for a midday smoke that’ll prevent consumers from getting too medicated.
The pre-rolled cones market is still trying to cope with the surge of demand but thankfully, RAW cones and other brands aren’t too hard to find online. There are several online sources to fulfill even the largest wholesale order for smoking accessories.
It would be a good idea for dispensaries and smoke shops to start stocking up on pre-rolled cones right now, especially as lockdowns get lifted across several states. These purchasing patterns of Millennials and Gen Zers have already changed the way several companies have decided to sell flower. Packaging loose flower is still a great move for many businesses, but providing convenience has become a more important focus for others.
People are excited to be outside this summer and many of them are going to want to enjoy the weather with a perfectly rolled joint or spliff in their hand. Pre-rolled cones and pre-rolls are the most innovative solutions to rolling joints, offering convenience and affordability to cannabis consumers across the world.
The cannabis industry is changing quickly, and soon enough, we’ll be witnessing pre-rolled joints being sold like packs of cigarettes. It’s an inevitable change that the tobacco industry made decades ago and the cannabis community is now adopting the same idea to its own level of success.
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