Cannabis Product Trends

The pre-packed flower is significantly more common than deli-style flower sales. Pre-packed accounts for 36% of total sales, whilst Deli-style accounts for only 18%. Medical patients purchase more flowers than adult-use customers by a relatively high 5%.

This does not mean, however, that other categories of products, such as edibles, pre-rolls and concentrates, are not gaining in popularity as the fledgling market expands and people look for more convenient ways to indulge their tastes.

The overall average of concentrates between 2017-2020 was 22% of all sales. In 2021, this percentage increased to 24% overall. Concentrates appear to be more prevalent in established cannabis markets like Colorado and California; this may be because beginners are more likely to stick with familiar products like edibles and flowers.

Regarding edibles, including cannabis chocolates, gummies, and beverages. The average over 2017-2020 was 9% of all sales. In 2021, this rose to 11% of sales. Edible consumption seems more prevalent in states with newer markets, such as Missouri, Maine and Massachusetts.

Pre-rolls are strong performers due to their convenience and marketing. Pre-rolls comprise 17% of total sales in Alaska, 13% in Massachusetts, and 9% in Nevada. However, in some states, they appear to be losing popularity. This may be in markets where more mature people find more value in buying flowers and rolling their own. Michigan, Oklahoma, Montana, and Colorado are all seeing pre-rolls losing popularity.

Fitting in with the trend we have already seen, newer markets would appear to report higher sales of accessories, such as rolling papers, bongs, lighters, pipes, etc. The idea is that there is a more significant need for weed paraphernalia in a new market and that these purchases aren't as requested in mature markets with a stable consumer base.

The overall average for accessory purchases is 2% of total sales.

States with higher-than-average accessory sales are all newer markets, such as Missouri, Maine and Michigan. Conversely, states with lower-than-average accessory sales are California (2%), Colorado (1%), and Oregon (2%).

These trends show what's happening in the cannabis industry from the view of popular products and consumer selections.

Although state-by-state laws also play a role here. For example, some states have limits for product types and potency, whilst others dictate how product types are defined and categorized. This means that in some cases, the law dictates the product breakdown, not the dispensaries, which will affect how popular a product appears.