Cannabis demand skewing away from Flower toward Vape Pens and Pre Rolls
Are 1/8’s a dying breed? Based on our most recent dispensary rankings, the once dominant Pre Pack Flower category is no longer king of dispensary shelf space. (Pre Pack Flower is defined as flower weighing from 1 gram to 1 ounce.) Just 4 months ago Flower SKUs made up 36% of county inventory. That % has dropped to just 21%, while the Vape Pen category took up 28.3% of SKUs. Aside from Vape Pens, Pre-Rolls and Edibles also made impressive gains.
Of the 65 dispensaries in San Diego County, 48 had 20% less pre pack flower than just 4 months ago.
The question is: why? Is it seasonal, with consumers seeking more portability and simplicity surring the summer months? Sneaking a vape pen on Mission Beach is a lot less daunting than hauling out a beaker and taking a rip.
Jeremiah Martinez of Eaze dispensary thinks so. “Seasonal plays a huge role. Disposable vapes are a huge category for us during summertime and all the travelers.” Martinez continued: “The staff does try and push whole flower as best means of consumption when comparing pre-rolls vs flower. But a lot of times the convenience and price point plays the biggest factor when customers ultimately making their choice.”
Josh Wax of LA based Joshwax says this has is not a new thing: “the bulk of consumers believe in whatever trend is on, which is currently skewed toward convenience. They either have no interest in rolling their own joints, or haven’t deconstructed a pre-roll and compared it a trichome-rich nug.”
This survey of trends will be updated in September.
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