How to Launch a Successful Pre-Roll Brand

The pre-roll sector is BOOMING. Not only did pre-rolls generate nearly $3.6 billion in 2025, the category moved more units than any other part of the cannabis industry, including flower, and saw the largest rate of growth of any major category.

Pre-rolls are no longer an afterthought or add-on, they are the primary driver of the entire cannabis industry, growing 9.8% in a year where the total industry only saw a 1.5% overall growth rate.

If you don’t have a pre-roll brand, you’re leaving money on the table.

But what makes a pre-roll brand successful? What do you need to know to launch a successful pre-roll brand?

Luckily, the Pre-Roll Experts are here to help.

Successful Pre-Roll Launch Step 1: Flower and Price Point

Don’t worry, we’re going to get into the nitty gritty of how to make pre-rolls as well as the choices you will need to make before you pack a single pre-rolled cone. But the truth is that the first thing you need to do is decide what type of pre-rolls you are going to make and what type of brand you are going to be.

And that generally comes down to two questions: What type of flower are you putting in your pre-rolled cones and at what price point do you want your pre-rolls to be found?

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 1: Price your products right. Most sales come from economical brands or mid-shelf. If you want to be super high-end and expensive, it will be a tougher road. A higher-margin, but lower volume makes sense if you are a smaller, craft brand with limited canopy space. - Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA CEO and Co-Founder

There are two main schools of thought here and both have their pros and cons. Some brands aim for a high-end product with a high price point, seeking increased revenues on fewer unit sales. Jeeter, for example, produces a high-end infused pre-roll with an average product price of $23.06. They are the No. 1 brand in the country by revenue, raking in $253.6 million on sales of 11 million units in 2025.

Other brands aim for volume sales, settling on a lower price point with the goal of moving as many units as possible. Michigan’s Dragonfly Cannabis, for example, sells mostly single strain hybrid pre-rolls with an average price point of $1.34. They are the top volume brand in the country, moving 22.8 million units in 2025, but only generating $30.7 in revenue.

Both are successful, top-level, high-quality pre-roll brands, but approach the industry from very different angles. Deciding what your brand will be before you begin packing your cones will help give you the guidance you need throughout the process.

Some brands, of course, do both or grow with their markets. And this may, in part, depend on where in the growth cycle your state's market is. For example, when new markets first open, most of the available flower goes to market packaged as flower, with pre-rolls and concentrates often being made from trim or smaller, less desirable materials.

But as markets mature and producers begin to dial in more regular and better-producing harvests (because they always do), better flower begins to be diverted to pre-rolls and concentrates

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 2: Start with a value brand and then come out with a premium line (we recommend infused) - price is the leading factor for purchase, but once you have brand loyalty, you can start to sell higher-priced items. - John Arriola, Custom Cones USA VP of Business Development

Beginning with a lower-end offering in order to begin building a brand and then later, when flower prices drop or prices for concentrates begin to stabilize, you can always ramp up to top-shelf pre-roll offerings.

Once you have decided on your source material, your goals for your pre-rolls and your brand, it’s time to begin building the perfect pre-roll for success.

Step 2: Pre-Roll Size Matters

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 3: Start with pre-roll size and type as it dictates packaging dimensions. - Andre Beyard, Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager

The first decision you need to make is what size pre-rolled cones you are going to pack because it is going to affect everything else going forward.

There are a handful of common sizes of pre-rolled cones including the 70mm “mini” that will hold about 0.3 grams, the “1 ¼" 84mm half-gram size, the 98mm 0.75-gram cone and the king size 109mm cones that holds a full gram of flower.

All four of those sizes, as well as a handful of others, will also work in standard cone-filling machines like the King Kone and the Fill N’ Fold and all four move units. However, two sizes stand out and should be considered a must for any successful pre-roll brand launch.

According to our 2026 State of the Pre-Roll Market Report, the full-gram 109mm cone is the single best-selling product in the category, generating $1.44 billion in 2025, or about 40% of all pre-roll sales, so we think any new pre-roll brand should absolutely make a full-gram king size pre-roll as part of its pre-roll line.

But while the king size full gram pre-roll is the top single seller, the 84mm half-gram pre-roll may actually move more individual pre-rolls because of its prominence in multi-packs, which have grown to dominate the sales chart. In fact, in 2025, a full 48.5% of products were multipacks, up from 46.8% the year before and from 37.7% in 2021. On top of that, 90% of the Top 100 products are multi-packs.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 4: Multi-Packs are King for Pre-rolls – Increasingly consumers are interested in multi-packs when purchasing pre-rolls, whether that is a 10-pk of dogwalkers, a 5-pk of half gram pre-rolls, or a 3pk of 1 gram pre-rolls, consumers are drawn to the value and convenience of purchasing pre-rolls in packs rather than one at a time. - Alex Ayers, Custom Cones USA Sales Operations Manager

And the 2.5-gram 5-pack of 84mm pre-rolls is by far the most popular multi-pack format, generating $612 million, or about 17.2% of total pre-roll revenue and nearly 24 million units sold. According to Headset, there are 9,817 distinct 2.5-gram format products.

So naturally, we see 84mm half gram pre-rolled cones as part of any successful pre-roll launch.

There are also important opportunities for non-standard or custom sizing, which is an excellent way for a new company or brand to stand out from the common cone. That is how the “Dogwalker” mini cone was launched, forever claiming that small size for the brand and making that company the “Xerox” of pre-rolls.

This year, according to our industry survey, 81.9% of manufacturers make a full-gram pre-roll and 53.5% make a half-grammer.

Step 3: The Paper Makes the Pre-Roll

Once you’ve selected your size, the next step is deciding what type of paper you are going to select for your pre-rolled cones. There are three main paper types: ultra-refined white, natural brown and organic hemp.

The refined white goes through the most processing and is the most translucent paper available on the market. It’s bright, white appearance gives a clean, professional look.

Natural Brown paper is made the same way as the white, but refined less, leaving more lignans – cellular structures found in plants – in the mix, giving the paper its distinctive color.

Organic Hemp paper is different. Instead of being made from wood pulp, it is made using the fibers from the hemp plant. It has an off-white color that is still translucent, but not as bright as white paper and is a favorite of brands that lean on their “green” bonafides.

And don’t feel forced to choose just one. Many brands use multiple paper types, depending on the pre-roll.

No matter what type of paper you chose though, there is one very important note here: Unlike the flower you pack into your cones, there are no regulations on rolling paper mandating tests for things like pesticides, heavy metals or microbials. The only time rolling papers are tested will be AFTER you pack your cones and only if you live in a state that requires lab testing in the product’s final form.

And by then it’s too late. If your paper causes a testing failure – and this has happened – you could be forced to destroy a whole batch of pre-rolls (and the flower inside) you already packed up. And even worse, if your state does not test the final form and an untested product gets to customers, you could make them sick and that is just as devastating for a brand trying to make a name for itself.

That’s why Custom Cones USA tests all of its pre-rolled cones to the highest standard in the industry, so you can rest assured that your pre-rolls will never fail a lab test due to the rolling paper. So when picking a paper supplier, make sure you choose a partner that cares as much about their products as you do about yours.

In our industry survey, 49.6% of our respondents offer a refined white option. Natural Brown comes in second with 48.8%, followed by organic hemp paper at 35.4%.

You can also pack pre-rolled blunts, usually made with hemp wraps, available in both cones and tubes. Though it’s a small segment of the pre-roll industry, it is one that is absolutely primed for growth.

So when launching your pre-roll brand you have to decide: go with the familiar or try to be different...

Step 4: How to Pack High-Quality Cones and the Power of Pre-Roll Machines

When you’ve got your flower, your size and your cones picked out, it’s time to start packing your pre-rolls, and let’s not beat around the bush: a successful pre-roll brand makes high quality pre-rolls.

And remember: brand matters. It’s the third-most important thing for consumers when they are picking a pre-roll, so if you launch with less than stellar pre-rolls, that could follow you around. So one key to a successful pre-roll launch is packing high-quality pre-rolls.

And we like to say that It All Starts With the Grind.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 5: Get the right grinder. Getting the wrong grinder ruins the whole process. - John Arriola, Custom Cones USA VP of Business Development

The key to packing a pre-roll that burns and smokes well is consistent particle size. And the key to consistent particle size is a good grinder. But not all grinders are equal.

When searching for a grinder, the most important thing to watch for as it pertains to your pre-rolls is the heat that it generates while breaking apart your flower. High-rpm grinders, such as whip-style grinders or shredders, as well as kitchen equipment like blenders or coffee grinders, are cheap ways to break up your flower, but they all generate a lot of heat, which can damage the valuable trichomes on your flower, where the cannabinoids and terpenes are housed.

Instead, look for a high torque, low rpm grinder, such as the Industrial Cannabis Grinder, which was designed specifically for the cannabis industry. The Industrial Cannabis Grinder uses a high-torque motor to push your flower through a screen, breaking it down to a small enough size to pack into cones or tubes, while producing less heat and protecting your flower.

One often overlooked step is sifting. While not required to pack your pre-rolls, it is key to producing the highest-quality pre-rolls, as well as protecting valuable employee and production time.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 6: Don’t Forget to Sift – An often overlooked key to a perfect pre-roll is not just consistently ground product, but also sifted cannabis to remove any additional particulate such as seeds and stem pieces that result in harsh flavor or ripped paper. - Alex Ayers, Custom Cones USA Sales Operations Manager

Again, consistent particle sizes make filling and packing smoother and easier, resulting in better pre-rolls. Besides that, the top two causes of re-work, according to producers in our 2026 survey, were inconsistent filling and pre-rolls that are packed too tight, both of which can be helped by sending your flower through a sifter.

Whether packing by hand or using a cone-filling machine, the key to a high-quality cone is a consistent, firm pack, starting right at the top of the filter. Because no one like a floppy pre-roll.

So whatever way you choose to fill your cones, make sure you get a good, consistent pack at the base and then work your way up. A consistent pack creates a better-smoking pre-roll that is less likely to have air pockets that cause it to canoe or run down one side while smoking. And the easiest way to do this, of course, is with a cone-filling machine.

The most popular cone-filling machines use vibrating or bounce motors to evenly distribute your ground (and sifted) flower in your cones. Many of the machines also come with metering trays, making consistent filling easier, and several now come with closing mechanisms, addressing what is consistently the most time-consuming part of production.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 7: Start small and scale up your manufacturing; the biggest companies are usually not using fully automated machines. - Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA CEO and Co-Founder

Some businesses launch with simple, manual filling machine like a Bump Box, but nearly all serious producers use machinery to produce consistent, high-quality pre-rolls in large quantities.

The most versatile cone-filling machine we have seen is the King Kone, which can fill any size cone or tube (with a conversion kit) and uses a vertical bounce motor to pack up to 169 cones in a single cycle. Perfet for small farms, mom and pop operations and established pre-roll manufacturers alike, the King Kone cone-filling machine is a sturdy, budget-friendly choice.

It also has a separate closing device that can close a full production run in a few simple moves, saving time on the back end.

The Fill N’ Fold cone-filling machine is a simple, multi-tray cone-filling machine that uses a vibrating motor to fill up to 121 pre-rolled cones in a single cycle. It also comes with a unique tamping/folding tool that allows employees to close a full row of 11 pre-rolls at one time, drastically speeding the closing procedure. The Fill N’ Fold has work trays for all sizes and shapes of pre-rolled cone, all of which work with the standard vibrating base, making it a useful cone-filler for businesses of any size.

Another common machine is the Futurola Knockbox, a vibrating machine that can handle multiple size cones. A common machine in the early days of the industry, the Knockbox is still popular, though its use of glass as part of its design makes it more fragile than metal or hardened plastic machines like the King Kone of Fill N’ Fold.

For manufacturers looking for something bigger, there is the Hummingbird PR-1, which uses a unique centrifugal motor to pack cones, automatically putting higher-density material near the filter for increased support and lower-density material near the tip for easy lighting. It’s a little bigger and more expensive than most companies launch with, but if pre-rolls are your plan for the long run, it is worth the consideration.

There are also automated pre-roll machines, but we don’t recommend those for businesses producing less than 10,000 per-rolls per month, so it’s probably not what you are looking for at launch.

Step 5: To Infuse or Not to Infuse

This is a big one. Creating infused pre-rolls – pre-rolls that mix flower with a concentrate for increased potency and flavor – can often come down to a matter of investment and expense (particularly before markets mature and concentrate prices are high), but there is no doubt that infused pre-rolls are extremely popular and are, in fact, helping drive the revenues for the entire category.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 8: Infused and flavored pre-rolls – even if these types of pre-rolls are not your cup of tea, are the most popular and you should sell people what they want! - Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA CEO and Co-Founder

In fact, infused pre-rolls account for 47% of all pre-roll revenue and have the largest year-over-year growth in units sold (+27.8%) and revenue (+16.4%). The top pre-roll company in the country, Jeeter, built its business on infused pre-rolls, as did no. 2 STIIIZY.

Though again, infusing is not a necessity as the top-selling pre-roll segment by units sold is the Hybrid – Single Strain, though because of a lower prices point, it does not generate nearly the same levels of revenue.

If you choose to infuse, you can do it by hand or there are several machines that can make it easier, such as the Infused Flower Mixer that uses the power of physics to perfectly homogenize your concentrate and flower into a single mix, or the KL120, which can coat thousands of pre-rolls each minute with an adhesive or oil and kief to create an eye-catching externally infused pre-roll.

Step 6: Packaging Choices

With your pre-rolls packed, the next decision is packaging. And remember, this relates back to your choice in cone-size, so make sure you get the right size package for your pre-roll products.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 9: Packaging is your 1st impression – With an increasing number of states requiring opaque containers, consumers make their decision about what products they are interested in based on how the packaging looks, rather than the product itself. Ensure your packaging conveys the quality of the product inside of it and stands out on a busy shelf of competitors’ products. - Alex Ayers, Custom Cones USA Sales Operations Manager

The single most popular piece of pre-roll packaging is the plastic pop-top doob tube. It is inexpensive, familiar, child-resistant and fully customizable, both in color (including Pantone matching) and with custom label application. They come in sizes for every cone and even multi-packs.

Glass pre-roll tubes are the next most popular option. Glass tubes, especially clear glass tubes that allow consumers to see the product inside, immediately signify to consumers a premium product because of the additional weight and fragile nature. As far as customization options, glass tubes can be topped with customizable caps designed to match your brand colors.

There are also plastic pre-roll tubes with caps (in various, customizable colors) for brands that want a higher-end look without fully committing to glass packaging.

There are also more eco-friendly tube options for eco-friendly brands, including reclaimed ocean-bound plastic, post-consumer plastic (required in some states, such as New York), paper tubes, hemp plastic tubes or even fully compostable pre-roll tubes that can be tossed in a backyard bin.

And for companies looking for additional multi-pack options, there are tins and boxes in multiple shapes, and always customizable, so there is something for every pre-roll brand.

But again, remember to check your state or province regulations because they vary. Some markets require opaque packaging, some require clear packaging and some don’t care. Some require child resistant packaging and tamper bands, some don’t.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 10: Make sure you understand the rules and regulations regarding pre-rolls and packaging for your state or country. - Andre Beyard, Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager

There’s plenty of packaging options to ensure you find the right one for your brand’s needs, no matter what it takes to keep you in compliance.

Step 7: Branding Your Pre-Rolls

Our pre-roll consumer survey revealed that the top three things shoppers consider when buying a pre-roll are potency, price and brand. And while the first two are tied up in your flower and business model, proper branding is an easy way to stand out from the crowd.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 11: Choose packaging that not only fits the product but also matches your brand and target audience. - Andre Beyard, Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager

Developing your brand voice, logo and colors is something you will have to do in order to launch a successful brand. And while there are countless places to find advice on this, the key is to remember that your brand is more than your logo, it’s what customers think and feel about your company and product. So take the time to make sure you understand your target customer and the type of pre-roll brand you intend to be.

Your first bit of branding a customer will notice is on your packaging, so choose packaging that compliments your brand and then use labels or custom printing to ensure that your logo and message come across (as well as any state-mandated warnings or numbers).

Beyond the packaging however, you should brand your pre-rolled cones themselves. Once your pre-rolls come out of their package, no one in the session will be able to tell who made that high-quality pre-roll.

However, if you brand your pre-rolls with custom filter tips, everyone taking a hit will see your company logo or message and know what to ask for at the dispensary.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 12: Brand as many things as possible. - John Arriola, Custom Cones USA VP of Business Development

Not only can you custom-print directly on to a paper or premium filter, Custom Cones USA offers additional options like cigar bands and external wraps that go around the filter tip, available in foil, spot UV and even holographic options.

And just a note: All five of the Top 5 pre-roll brands use customized filter tips on their pre-rolls.

Step 8: Pre-Roll Practice Makes Perfect Pre-Rolls

So those are the main points to putting together a successful pre-roll brand, but there are a few more things to note.

First, this all sounds easy enough, but the truth is it takes a little practice to dial in SOPs and production guides to ensure every pre-roll you produce is a high-quality product.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 13: Test pre-rolls and packaging together early to avoid costly adjustments later. - Andre Beyard, Custom Cones USA Compliance Manager

We always recommend starting with small batches to verify size and weight before flipping the switch on a larger production model. Prototyping your pre-rolls in smaller batches at the beginning will also give a sense of what is selling and what dispensaries are looking for.

And don’t be afraid to change if your initial ideas do not pan out the way you expected. There is a lot of competition in this industry so be strategic and keep your margins in line, especially at launch time.

White labeling – having another licensed company produce your pre-rolls – is also an option for some brands looking to get into dispensaries quickly.

Step 9: Never Stop Innovating Your Pre-Rolls

Pre-rolls are one of the fastest moving segments in the industry. How fast? More than 55% of our industry survey respondents said it only takes a few days to go from production to store shelves.

Because of its small size and low price point, pre-rolls are an easy and convenient way for consumers to try out a new brand or new strain. It’s why the category sells more units than any other category in cannabis.

Because of this, the pre-roll segment is constantly evolving and innovating, with new infusions, premium filter tips like wood, glass or ceramic, or even new sizes and paper types.

So it’s vitally important that you pay attention to pre-roll trends and be ready for opportunities with special holiday packaging and branding options.

Beyond that, in this industry, relationships are important. For pre-roll makers, that means finding both a pre-roll supply partner you can trust and making sure you build relationships with folks at dispensaries and throughout the industry as a whole.

Remember: Budtenders are your friend and can make or break a brand.

Pre-Roll Expert Tip 14: Build strong relationships with budtenders and store managers. You can't just launch a brand and expect sales. You need to give out samples, educate budtenders and be present at local events. Budtender turnover is high unfortunately, so you need to be consistent and keep on maintaining connections with your community. - Harrison Bard, Custom Cones USA CEO and Co-Founder

Final Thoughts on Launching a Successful Pre-Roll Brand

That about sums it up: Everything you need to know to launch a successful pre-roll brand. We talked flower and pricing, size and paper, packing and packaging, and branding for success.

But remember, all this is easier said than done. Pre-Rolls are a rewarding and profitable category that is driving the industry forward with five years of industry-leading growth, but they are also a very competitive marketplace.

So choose your partners carefully and contact The Pre-Roll Experts today to talk about launching your successful pre-roll brand!