Despite the coronavirus pandemic, sales of cannabis pre-rolls (the common industry term for professionally rolled marijauna cigerattes) in 2020 were up nearly 50%.
According to data from Seattle-based cannabis analytics firm Headset, across recreational markets in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon (medical and adult use) and Washington state, pre-roll sales increased by 47.1% from $640.1 million in 2019 to $941.6 million in 2020.
The total marijuana market in comparison grew by 39.4% over the same time period. Only flower, which grew by 54%, increased more than pre-rolls.
In 2020, pre-rolls had a 10% category market share by total sales, up from 9.5% in 2019, according to Headset.
Cannabis wholesale marketplace LeafLink has said that sales of pre-rolls are up on the national level.
Sales of this product category have increased by 144% year-over-year from January 2020 to January 2021.
In January of this year, pre-rolls made up 7.94% of total LeafLink market share, an increase of 1.7 percentage points in market share year-over-year.
Narmin Jarrous, chief development officer of Exclusive Brands, a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said has seen a “huge increase in the sale of pre-rolls since last year” to the tune of 45%.
“All of those people who don’t know how to roll a joint, this is the perfect product for them,” she said.
“It’s less commitment,” Jarrous said. “It’s like buying a slice of cake versus buying a whole cake.”
“People are struggling financially,” Jarrous said, “and they still need access to their medicine, so sometimes the most convenient and acceptable way to do it is a $10 pre-roll.”
