Custom Cones USA launches first-of-its-kind white paper on the pre-roll industry

 

To understand the current state of the pre-roll industry, Custom Cones USA surveyed more than 130 pre-roll companies and partnered with cannabis data firm, Headset, to gather data from dispensaries and pre-roll brands.

Some key insights:

  • In 2020, pre-roll sales in recreational U.S. cannabis markets saw 59% YoY growth with total sales increasing from $704M in 2019 to $1.12B in 2020. This growth in pre-roll sales outpaced the total market which grew by 54.2% over the same period, according to data from Headset.
  • The top product segment within the pre-roll category has been ‘Hybrid – Single Strain’ every year since Headset began tracking sales data. The segment to watch is the ‘Connoisseur / Infused’ segment, which includes pre-rolls infused with concentrates for additional potency. This segment has risen from 12.7% of all pre-roll sales in 2018 to 31.9% of all pre-roll sales in 2021 YTD.
  • According to survey responses, 71.1% of brands have only been in business for 3 years or less with nearly 40% referring to themselves as “brand new.” Some have been around since the legalization of cannabis in their state, but the broad picture is of newer, energized businesses encouraged by new state legalizations.

One of the more hopeful trends is that these young ventures have been emboldened by increased legalization and overall growth in the market–so much so that 95% of pre-roll businesses surveyed said they have plans to expand in some way within the next year.

In addition to expansion, we saw an uptick in the use of machinery, such as grinders, sifters, and cone filling machines to streamline the production process and improve the pre-roll product.

   

Jocelyn Sheltraw, Headset’s director of industry relations, said she was very interested to partner with Custom Cones USA because of some compelling shifts she had seen within the pre-roll industry.

“I suspected that a lot of manufacturers might have to pivot or at least take note of some of the changes that were happening,” Sheltraw said. “This data is a great way to understand what’s going on.”

To see all the pre-roll industry data we discovered, check out the full Cannabis Pre-Roll Industry white paper.