We provide constructive, fact-based discussions of issues
relevant to the cannabis market designed to add value for our
clients. We release periodic thought-leadership pieces written by
our team of researchers, policy experts, and strategists.
Cannabis and the “Sunday Scaries”
Doomscrolling, what’s that? Solving the “Sunday Scaries” could be an opportunity for cannabis market researchers, especially those focused on cannabis consumer insights. But to understand what might enable cannabis consumers to stave off anxiety, the investigation has to start at the phenomenon’s origin. The answer lies in the late ’80s when the specter of Monday…
Does pot have a potency problem?
The lack of research due to prohibition has led to uncertainty about the onset time of cannabis edibles. Brands like Wana Quick have launched fast-acting products, but the norm is still a warning of a 2-hour delay on the package. This lag time is a problem that needs to be solved if the edible market…
The Thursday Report 3000 Predicts 2023 Cannabis Consumer Trends
It’s difficult to predict exactly what consumers will be looking for in cannabis this year, as consumer preferences and trends can change rapidly. However, based on current trends and developments in the industry, it is likely that consumers will be looking for several key things in cannabis products: High-quality, lab-tested products: Consumers are becoming increasingly…
The Thursday Report 3000 Predicts 2023 Flavor Trends
As a robot programmed to analyze data and predict trends, I have analyzed the current state of the food and drink industry to determine the next big flavors set to dominate the market. In an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, the range of flavors and ingredients available to consumers continues to expand. This has led…
Where is the road headed for cannabis delivery?
Everything “direct to consumer” (D2C) in cannabis is in flux. What’s happening today in states like Massachusetts, California, and elsewhere has never been tried before until relatively recently. (At least not by anyone carrying a state-issued license.) Consumers are increasingly turning to online ordering facilitated by sophisticated platforms like BLAZE, a leading provider of enterprise…
No longer a niche? CBD for Exercise, Sports
Consumers use CBD for relief from a wide range of health and wellness challenges. Anxiety, sleeplessness, pain, and stress top the list for many. Some use CBD to treat aching muscles and sore joints following exercise. When asked in a 2021 cannabis consumer insights survey, 12% of CBD consumers called out using CBD as an…
What’s On The Mind of Potential CBD Consumers?
What would make people feel more comfortable adopting CBD? While the industry continues to weigh the impact of the latest shake-up by the FDA, potential adopters of CBD among non-users continue to eye the growing multitude of cannabidiol-infused products with interest and trepidation. For example, the warning letters issued in late November caused a stir in the…
The Six Rs Of Product Strategy In Uncertainty
As America confronts a chaotic resurgence of the COVID-19 outbreak, people are desperately seeking indicators of the latest wave abating. The end of the pandemic, while not necessarily near, can at least be better understood today. On May 10, the New York Times ran “How Pandemics End”, a piece relaying the perspective of epidemiologists and…
How cannabis is keeping mainstream sleep aids awake at night
2021 threatens to deliver another year of turmoil, characterized by further lockdowns, social distancing, and an ongoing threat to health, daily routines, and financial security on a global scale – any one of which would be ample cause to lose sleep. Dubbed by some as ‘Coronasomnia’, observers have found evidence of sleep disorders occurring around…
Crafting a premium cannabis beverage brand
Looking at two recent entrants in the drinks category of the cannabis consumer market demonstrates how cannabis brands can take a premium position. Cannabis beverages outperformed the overall market from 2018-2020 (according to data from Headset), a trend likely to continue due to the overall growth in edibles, and other factors such as subtle shifts…
Legacy Brands, Cannabis, and a Playskool Kitchen: The Importance of Consistency in Consumer Products
On a recent trip to visit family, my mother-in-law dusted off (literally) some classic toys from storage. How she still had a trove of gently used toys from the ‘70s and ‘80s is something of a mystery. Apparently, she had been waiting for just the right moment. (A recent inventory of my mother’s basement turned…
Lighting up in the land of Lincoln
September adult use sales in Illinois surpassed $120M as $1B mark nears with YTD sales up 131% versus the same period last year. The Illinois cannabis market is booming. Adult-use sales alone have exceeded $100M for the seventh month running, and the state is set to eclipse $1B in adult-use sales by year’s end. “Out-of-state…