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Half-ounces emerge as a popular cannabis format

Published on May 26, 2023 by David Wylie

Photo: Contributed

Call it a half-O, half-zip, or 14 grams, half-ounces are emerging as a format of choice.

Calyx + Trichomes owner Jennawae Cavion says people want to be able to make an ounce, but mix and match.

“What we’re seeing a trend towards is larger format sizes—not quite ounces because the ounces were already there, but it’s that in-between size,” she says.

“We’re trying to snap up all the 14 grams we can.”

Cavion, who has two stores in Kingston, Ont., says her customers are generally moving away from the 3.5-gram size. She says it became the go-to size initially because people wanted to try different brands. As the market matures, consumers are gravitating toward seven and 14-gram drops.

“People are more comfortable going toward larger formats,” she says.

Even the more expensive brands are selling well in mid-size formats, she adds.

Some of brands ruling the mid-size category include BLK MKT, Dank Craft, Qwest, MTL, and Muskoka Grown.

“There are stoners that want a higher quality half ounce. 1964 has surged in popularity,” she says, adding people want organic weed in large formats.

Drinks, pre-rolls, and seeds

Cavion says the popularity of drinks surprises her every summer.

“I just did my order and we stocked up heavy on drinks. People really are crushing cans,” she says.

The selection has been improving, and her favourites are Green Monké, Bubble Kush, and Tweed’s new Strawberry Lemonade drink.

In pre-rolls, Redecan’s straight-rolled Redees are going down in popularity, while combo packs, such as those from Edison, are gaining market share. “People are liking the mixing and matching,” she says, adding, “anything bigger than a three-pack is popular as well.”

Not many people are popping seeds from the legal market. “Seeds are as unpopular as always in the legal market because the type of customer that wants seeds is still going to get it from the unregulated market,” she says.

Okanagan cannabis brands in demand

Cavion says several Okanagan-area cannabis companies are killing it in the Kingston market, including Purefire Co., Organnicraft, and Smoker Farms.

Some of the bigger companies are maintaining their market share.

“It’s crazy the amount of Shred that we sell, like it’s crazy,” she says.

Tigerblood infused pre-roll from General Admission sell well.