Let’s Just Call Them Joints Already
Buying cannabis as raw flower has been the standard since… well, forever. Moving weed around the country and from country to country is much easier when you can squeeze it into a car trunk, the nose cone of a prop plane or a shipping container full of oranges or stuffed animals.
This history has guided the trajectory of the nascent cannabis industry. Unlike all other consumer packaged goods, cannabis is still primarily sold like produce. Consumers buy loose flower to bring home, grind up, remove stems (and possibly seeds) and then either roll a joint or pack into a bowl.
If you step back for a second, this seems really ridiculous.
When I was younger I really did enjoy the ritual. What I don’t enjoy nowadays is the added steps, the mess and time wasted.
Much like gummies and vapes have steadily gained market share over the last several years, joint sales have also experienced a steady uptick. According to Headset preroll sales ( the shitty new name for joints) have grown 13% year-over-year whereas flower sales have declined 8%. I’m going to go out on a limb here, but I’m pretty sure this trend is going to continue. If you are not from the subculture the allure of the ritual is just not there. You want what you have in everything else that you buy — convenience.
This also points to another growing trend; the diminishing importance of strains. When cannabis is purchased as a prerolled joint the factors that contribute to the importance of raw flower quickly go away. I don’t buy apples because of the way they make me feel, nor do I buy socks for how they taste. Forget about sight and touch. When cannabis is consumed as a joint (or vape or gummie) the only factors that matter are taste and sensation. As it should be.
I like to reminisce about the good ‘ole days of weed and where this all started but it’s time to turn the page. Those that have the foresight and are proactive about where this is all going stand to reap the benefits of a new consumer base that ironically, will look a lot like everything else around us.
PRODUCT NEWS
Direct CO2 carbon capture could be on the way for growers.
OTHER NEWS
Intuitively I’ve always suspected this but finally there is some evidence that cannabinoids have insecticidal properties.
Episode #9 of Sea Of Green, “People, Planet, Profit” is up now. This Sunday we will be profiling Hunter and Steve from Joints Colorado -
Stay tuned for the realness!!
“No one goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”
Thanks for reading,
d
