{"id":10548,"date":"2024-11-26T13:38:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-26T13:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=6835477"},"modified":"2024-11-26T13:38:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T13:38:35","slug":"colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado cannabis companies have a new strategy to attract more hesitant customers: weaker weed"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>At Terrapin Care Station, a Denver dispensary on Broadway, area manager Adam Shepler stood behind a counter displaying an array of more than 20 low-dose cannabis products: gummies, patches, drinks, topical lotions, tinctures, a vape and a powder.<\/p>\n<p>Most of them were recently released. Though Shepler has fielded customer interest in low-dose products for years, he\u2019s now interacting with more newcomers seeking holistic anxiety relief \u2014 and the industry is responding. Soon, the shop on Broadway will also carry flower that\u2019s half CBD, half THC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs more consumers have been demanding this, you\u2019re seeing more companies cater to that market,\u201d Shepler said.<\/p>\n<p>In Colorado, several cannabis companies \u2014 Dialed In Gummies, Wana Brands and Sun Theory Holding Co. among them \u2014 are part of a burgeoning trend of catering to clientele who don\u2019t want their marijuana so strong. The move to provide more low-dose products allows them to access new market demographics, such as inexperienced cannabis users and people battling anxiety or sleep problems.<\/p>\n<p>Those customers want the benefits of bud without an overwhelming high.<\/p>\n<p>The pivot comes at a time of change for the cannabis industry. More Americans say <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2024\/05\/22\/daily-marijuana-use-outpaces-drinking-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">they\u2019re using weed<\/a> on a daily basis than alcohol, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/29\/most-americans-now-live-in-a-legal-marijuana-state-and-most-have-at-least-one-dispensary-in-their-county\/#:~:text=Since%20Colorado%20and%20Washington%20became,marijuana%20as%20of%20February%202024.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">recreational cannabis<\/a> is legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C. At the national level, outgoing President Joe Biden\u2019s administration has put into motion the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2024\/05\/16\/justice-department-formally-moves-to-reclassify-marijuana-as-a-less-dangerous-drug-in-historic-shift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reclassification of marijuana<\/a> from a Schedule I to a less dangerous Schedule III drug, which would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2024\/04\/30\/colorado-marijuana-reclassify-dea-taxes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">help the industry financially<\/a> \u2014 although progress <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marijuanamoment.net\/dea-marijuana-rescheduling-hearing-delayed-until-2025-agency-judge-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has been delayed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, in Colorado, cannabis companies say they\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2023\/12\/31\/colorado-marijuana-10-years-history-legalization-industry-struggles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contending with challenges<\/a> like over-regulation, dropping prices and <a href=\"https:\/\/cdor.colorado.gov\/data-and-reports\/marijuana-data\/marijuana-sales-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plummeting sales<\/a>. And recent headlines have the public talking about health issues resulting from long-term weed use, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/10\/04\/us\/cannabis-marijuana-risks-addiction.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The New York Times<\/a> bringing attention to cannabis use disorder last month.<\/p>\n<p>But a strategy that\u2019s helping cannabis companies expand their appeal is the development of less potent products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProduct development and evolving consumer trends have been a cornerstone of Colorado cannabis since legalization,\u201d said Truman Bradley, the CEO and executive director of the Marijuana Industry Group. \u201cLow-dose cannabis products are one of the products in demand right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4>Low-dose edibles take off<\/h4>\n<p>While some companies are still focused on making weed as potent as possible for their core demographics, others are trying to bridge the gap with underserved customers by playing with the ratios of cannabinoids in their products.<\/p>\n<p>Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the predominant cannabinoid that gets users high. Other common cannabinoids are CBD, which helps with anxiety, nausea and inflammation; CBG, a mood enhancer; and CBN, which serves as a sleep aid.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dialedingummies.com\/about-dialed-in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dialed In Gummies<\/a> was established in Denver in 2020 as Colorado\u2019s first gummy that uses rosin, <a href=\"https:\/\/weedmaps.com\/learn\/dictionary\/how-to-make-rosin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a cannabis concentrate<\/a> that goes through a more refined process than the standard THC distillate, said president Max Vansluys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur gummies \u2026 tend to be a bit stronger than the typical 10-milligram dose,\u201d Vansluys added.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6841251\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed.jpg\" alt=\"Packager Gabby Jedryczka places five gummies in each tin on the production line at Dialed In Gummies in Denver on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"8256\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"6841251\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_406.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_406.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_406.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_406.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Packager Gabby Jedryczka places five gummies in each tin on the production line at Dialed In Gummies in Denver on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He recognizes that potential consumers sometimes believe 10 milligrams of THC \u201cis too much for them,\u201d Vansluys said. \u201cAnd because there aren\u2019t a lot of other options, they aren\u2019t even entering into the market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Feedback shared with Vansluys detailed how patrons were cutting gummies in half \u201cjust to give them a little bit of a lighter dose, because they found the full gummy may have been too much for certain activities,\u201d Vansluys said.<\/p>\n<p>So, a few months ago, his company released its <a href=\"https:\/\/dialedingummies.com\/products\/sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dialed Out gummies<\/a> for sleep. They incorporate 5 milligrams of THC, 5 milligrams of CBN and 5 milligrams of CBD per edible, with 20 gummies in each tin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s done very well for us,\u201d Vansluys said. \u201cWe\u2019re figuring out ways to make more of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joe Hodas, the president of Boulder-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanabrands.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wana Brands<\/a>, said the cannabis industry has tried to experiment with low-dose products for years, but many attempts have failed. That\u2019s because retailers steer customers toward high-potency products to get the \u201cbiggest bang for your buck.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the brand\u2019s successful low-dose products is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wanabrands.com\/products\/gummies\/optimals\/quick-calm-rec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quick Calm gummies<\/a>, which mixes three cannabinoids \u2014 10 milligrams of CBD, 10 milligrams of CBG and 1 milligram of THC per piece \u2014 with the stress-relieving amino acid L-theanine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe combination of all these things really are intended to reduce anxious thoughts,\u201d Hodas said.<\/p>\n<p>The Quick Calm product launched in June 2023. To Hodas, Quick Calm appeals not only to newcomers seeking alternatives for health and wellness, but also to experienced users in search of a lighter experience than usual.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re seeing great success with it,\u201d Hodas said. \u201cWe\u2019re launching it now into other markets and seeing the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wana Brands will continue to explore cannabis solutions for pain, anxiety and sleep, Hodas said, as well as to create new flavors and product lines for heavy-dose consumers.<\/p>\n<h4>The cannabis industry\u2019s evolution<\/h4>\n<p>Blythe Huestis, the vice president of retail at Denver-based cannabis company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencesuntheory.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sun Theory Holding Co.<\/a>, is watching her industry evolve. Her company operates 13 locations statewide under four retail brands: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.terrapincolorado.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Terrapin Care Station<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/rootsrxstores.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Roots RX<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/3dsalida.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3D Cannabis Center Salida<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/durangorecroom.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Durango Recroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Huestis cites findings by <a href=\"https:\/\/bdsa.com\/industry-growth-amp-transformation-unveiling-todays-modern-u-s-cannabis-consumer\/#:~:text=Although%20there%20has%20been%20minimal,%2C%20and%200.5%25%20as%20nonbinary.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cannabis market researcher BDSA<\/a> about the \u201cmajor shift in (the) gender\u201d of cannabis consumers, who increasingly are women.<\/p>\n<p>For new and prospective customers, \u201cbudtenders\u201d at the counters of Sun Theory\u2019s dispensaries can suggest products with higher amounts of calming CBD.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re seeing more and more that product lines are catering to this demographic, and we\u2019re certainly getting more questions from our customers about these products, too,\u201d Huestis said.<\/p>\n<p>One of her favorites is <a href=\"https:\/\/letsescape.com\/shop\/topicals\/800mg-cbd-400mg-cbg-800mg-thc-relief-cream-with-rose-bergamot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Escape Artists\u2019 relief cream<\/a>, a topical lotion used to relieve bodily pain that contains 800 milligrams of CBD, 800 milligrams of THC and 400 milligrams of CBG. Another is <a href=\"https:\/\/marysmedicinals.com\/product\/10-pack-transdermal-patches\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mary\u2019s Medicinals Transdermal Patches<\/a>: various packs of THC patches that respectively incorporate CBD for restoration, CBG for focus or CBN for sleep.<\/p>\n<p>For Huestis, providing a wide range of offerings is a winning strategy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur shoppers are evolving, and we \u2014 as an industry and as a retailer \u2014 have to evolve with our customer base,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have an opportunity to create a whole new sector of customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6841252\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed-1.jpg\" alt=\"Jordan Regalado pours a newly batched gummy mixture into a machine to pour it into silicone molds on the production line at Dialed In Gummies in Denver on Nov. 12, 2024. The company fills 5,000 units a day and makes 1\/4 million individual gummies a week at their facility in Denver. The state's cannabis industry is in flux as dispensaries close in concentrated areas, sales level out and neighboring states expand their own weed markets. Dialed In Gummies produces cannabis rosin edibles made in collaboration with Colorado's best cannabis cultivators. They specialize in small batch sous-vide batches and solventless rosin gummies. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"8256\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"6841252\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/colorado-cannabis-companies-have-a-new-strategy-to-attract-more-hesitant-customers-weaker-weed-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_947.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_947.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_947.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/TDP-L-GUMMIES_947.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jordan Regalado pours a newly batched gummy mixture into a machine that dispenses it into silicone molds on the production line at Dialed In Gummies in Denver on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>Still, not every cannabis company is investing in the development of low-dose products \u2014 yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur customers, the dispensaries, are not asking for or demanding \u2014 in any sense, really \u2014 lower potency,\u201d said Conlan Keller, the co-founder and co-owner of <a href=\"https:\/\/bonanzacannabis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bonanza Cannabis Company<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s actually the opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The company sells to dispensaries directly, and they\u2019re ordering its 4-gram vapes, its most potent product.<\/p>\n<p>But Keller isn\u2019t saying never to a low-dose product, either \u2014 as long as it makes sense for the bottom line.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe volume of those shoppers is what\u2019s going to determine it,\u201d Keller said.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/myaccount.denverpost.com\/dp\/preference\">Get more Colorado news by signing up for our daily Your Morning Dozen email newsletter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Originally Published: November 26, 2024 at 6:00 AM MST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>The move to provide more low-dose products allows companies to access new market demographics, such as inexperienced cannabis users and people battling anxiety or sleep problems. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[52,330,1867,6811,10729,10730,376,10731,478,10485,7938,77,5577,6853,6815,6858,56,9,7300,5019,6845,1,3,18,61,1736],"tags":[2632,2908,4435,6816,10732,10733,2954,10734,3052,10486,7939,2655,5580,6854,6820,6860,2636,7305,5022,6846,2622],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10548"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10548\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}