A Quick Guide to Choosing Pre Roll Packaging

How Should You Package Your Pre Roll?

They say 10% of the retail price of your product should be earmarked for the costs associated with its packaging. That’s not much when you consider the responsibility packaging carries in convincing a customer to buy, so it needs to be spent wisely.

Any product on a shelf has about two seconds (literally) to catch a customer’s eye before they move on to the next option. To stop a wandering eye, a product’s packaging needs to:

  • stand out amongst the other similar products on the shelf

  • make it clear exactly who should be buying the product

  • maintain effective profit margins

These three points are particularly true in the cannabis industry, where competition is cutthroat and profits can be slim. Pre rolls specifically require extra attention to packaging because they’re gaining popularity across markets and attract consumers of all experience levels. (Unlike say, concentrates, which mainly speak to seasoned consumers.)

If you’re planning to drop a new pre roll line or improve a current one, follow this pre roll packaging guide to make sure your packaging can close the sale.

What To Consider for Pre Roll Packaging

Knowing your target audience should inform the decisions you make when determining the below factors. It’s also important to know and follow your state’s laws regarding child-resistant packaging and tamper-evident seals.

Pick Singles or Multi-Packs

First things first—are you planning to sell your pre roll as a single or in a multi-pack?

Multi-packs are gaining traction in several markets and offer the consumer a lot of opportunities. They can save customers time and money by buying “in bulk,” if you will. And they give customers the opportunity to try different strains and/or strain + concentrate combos without having to commit to a larger flower or concentrate purchase.

Single pre rolls still have their place, though, with their approachable price point and discreet convenience.

Know Your Price Point

We mentioned earlier that traditional retail recommends using 10% of the price of your product to cover your packaging costs. While tried and true, bear in mind the cannabis industry pays a lot more in taxes than traditional retail, so you may have to adjust that percentage to keep profits in check.

Prioritize the Integrity of Your Product

Literally—make sure your joint doesn’t get smashed or bent. You also don’t want it to have too much wiggle room to be shaken around and loosened up.

It’s also crucial your packaging is air-tight, and ideally, light-proof to avoid as much cannabinoid and terpene degradation as possible. Customers expect a quality, consistent pre roll experience. If your pre roll doesn’t hit right because the flower’s too dry or degraded, they likely won’t purchase from you again. Hundreds of other pre roll products are available to them.

Whatever packaging you choose, it must protect and secure your pre roll from the moment it’s rolled to the moment a customer lights it. Consider how it will be stored, how it will travel to the dispensary, and how it will be displayed in-store.

Catch Your Customer’s Eye

This is the fun part! Make sure your pre roll packaging stands out. And, in particular, make sure it stands out to your target audience. It doesn’t need to catch every shopper’s eye; it just needs to catch your shopper’s eye. Narrow down who that is, and then design your packaging around their style, priorities, and preferences.

People will judge a book by its cover, especially shoppers, which is why it’s important to design your packaging around your ideal customer. If they’re trendy and prioritize product aesthetics as much as or more than product effectiveness, lean into sans serif fonts, cheeky taglines, and soft, natural colors. If they consume specifically for medical reasons, keep the taglines a bit more buttoned up and consider a serif font paired with darker, deeper colors.

Remember, you’ve got about two seconds to grab their attention. Once you have their attention, judgment sets in. Your packaging should immediately make it clear to any shopper that the product is for them or not for them. And if it’s for them, make sure it’s speaking their language.

Pre roll Packaging Options

Depending on the factors we just went over, you may have to pick two different packages for your pre-roll: an exterior, likely child-proof package like a box or mylar bag, and an interior package to hold the physical joint, like a tube, vial, or tin.

Some common pre roll packaging options include: 

  • Slide boxes
  • Tins (Some slide boxes and tins include a spot for matches and a match strike, a perk that could entice your customer to buy.)
  • Plastic doob tubes for singles
  • Glass vials for singles
  • Pelican case-style plastic boxes

Other things to consider when choosing your pre roll packaging are:

  • Do you want or need to include a humidity pack to keep your pre roll fresh?
  • Do you want or need room on the outside of the packaging for marketing copy or a QR code to provide further info to the customer?
  • Does your state require your pre roll packaging to be child-proof only at the point of purchase, or does it have to be child-proof every time it’s opened and closed?
  • Does your state require a tamper-evident seal on pre roll packaging?
  • Do you need to print labels, or will you emboss/engrave your branding right onto the package?

Time To Hit the Shelves

Your pre roll packaging plays a massive role in the success of your product once it hits dispensary shelves. Choosing with intention is critical, as is gathering feedback from budtenders.

The best way to know how well your pre roll and its packaging are being received is to develop relationships with the budtenders who work at your retailers. If budtenders are getting consistent, specific questions from customers about your pre roll, maybe you can answer them by adding more detail or information to your packaging. Or perhaps customers are telling them that your packaging is too difficult or easy to open. Budtenders are one of your greatest resources for finding out exactly what your customer thinks of your product.

Shoot, maybe talk to them before you select your pre roll packaging to see what customers in their store gravitate toward. And if they happen to also mention that customers are gravitating toward rolled pre rolls versus stuffed cones, talk to us. Rolled pre rolls are kind of our thing—connect with us today.