If you’re a pot smoker of a certain vintage, you may find yourself longing for the days when the potency of marijuana didn’t knock you on your ass.
With the steady legalization of cannabis across many states in the country, marijuana has been carefully bred to pack a serious punch. But that’s not what everybody wants.
As such, weaker strains of marijuana are starting to show up on the shelves – particularly in California. And it’s lovingly (or mockingly, depending on your viewpoint) referred to as dad weed.
It’s Really the RE Emergence of Dad Weed
To suggest that these weaker strains are some new fangled idea is a fallacy. They’re merely a more accurate representation of the “weed your dad smoked.” (If he, in fact, did smoke weed.)
Way back in 1995, the average marijuana flower came in at about 4% THC. It gave a nice mellow high that allowed you to still cognitively process things with some level of aplomb.
But now you can get strains of flower as high as 40%. In California, at least. In fact, only 1% of the flower sold in California this past year came in at less than 14% THC. Over 80% tested at 21%.
It’s not just California though. Even if you do a search in Michigan, for example, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any flower with less than around 18%. Which is still more than four times the amount of the average in the mid-90s.
High potency weed wins the game. Unfortunately, this mindset is alienating a potential customer base that cannot tolerate such potency levels.
Brands Awakening to Ignored Niche Market
Recognizing the need for mellow weed, some brands are waking up and designing pre-rolls that deliver a 5-10% THC potency level. Others have only a trace amount that allow them to still be federally legal. And in the edibles market, low-dose mints (with a mere 2.5 mg THC) are making their way to the shelves.
As of the time of this publishing though, there’s only one company that’s even attempted to sell joints with even lower THC strains. The owner of the company was laughed out of the dispensaries whose managers believed nobody would ever buy them. Yet, as a former president of marketing for the country’s first cannabis-delivery company, he knew there was a demand for a lighter cannabis experience.
The Solution
Rather than sticking with low-THC pot (which is also difficult to source because farmers don’t want to grow it), the company relies on the entourage effect to dampen the potency. They blend high-THC strains with high-CBD strains to strike a more balanced high.
And it’s paid off. Their product appeals to those who simply want to take the edge off while still being able to socialize or even work. This dad weed has since been branded as “productive cannabis.” And there’s a bigger market out there for it than those all-knowing dispensary managers imagined.
Not everyone has the need (or, frankly, the time) for obliteration. Hopefully, as the market continues to evolve and consumers continue to age, there will be a deeper appreciation for this fact.
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