Pre-Roll Packaging Trends: The Rise of the Pre-Roll Multi-Pack

The Rise of the Pre-Roll Multi-Pack: Why It's Gaining Popularity

One of the hottest trends in pre-roll packaging is the pre-roll multi-pack.

In our June 2023 whitepaper, Custom Cones USA and cannabis market data and analysis leader Headset found that since 2021, there has been nearly 400% growth in multi-pack pre-rolls that contain between 2 and 5 grams.

There are several reasons for the multi-pack’s growing popularity among consumers, from the convenience to the ability to try out different strains at a lower price point. For producers, it’s an opportunity to introduce new pre-rolls to new cannabis consumers who aren’t yet familiar with their many available pre-roll options. There are also greater opportunities for marketing your brand with multi-pack pre-roll packaging.

Let’s explore how you can position your company to successfully ride the cannabis pre-roll multi-pack wave.

Why Pre-Roll Multi-Packs Are an Emerging Trend

Recent trends in the cannabis industry, such as legalization in 23 states and changing consumer attitudes have given rise to greater interest. The Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 also played a role, with customers gravitiating toward pre-roll multi-packs as a way to avoid multiple store visits.

Newer consumers are curious and wish to sample various brands and cannabis strains without having to make a major investment. Pre-rolls and pre-roll multi-packs give them this freedom. Vacationers and business travelers need the convenience of a pre-rolled smoke, and multi-packs are cost-effective. Even more sophisticated customers may want to try out a new brand, strain or blend, making multi-packs an attractive option.

Benefits for consumers and producers

Why bundle multiple pre-rolled cannabis joints into a single package? Pre-roll multi-packs offer many benefits for both consumers and producers.

• Greater convenience and value for people who enjoy variety in their cannabis consumption.
• The ability to experiment with different cannabis products in a single cost-effective package.
• Not having to visit a dispensary every time they want a pre-roll.
• The freedom to try out different brands and strains without purchasing a larger quantity—especially important for new customers.
• Being able to enjoy the convenience of a rolled joint while away from home.

• The ability to introduce new strains and varieties under one consistent brand.
• Being able to offer customers more options at different price points.
• Greater opportunities to market their brand and tell their unique story.
• The ability to better gauge consumer interest in particular strains and varieties, and to test the popularity of different combination packages.
• Encouraging product loyalty—buying multiples at one time for convenience develops into long-term consumer loyalty.

In these ways, pre-roll multi-packs contribute to a more engaging and diverse consumer experience within the cannabis market.

Pre-roll Multi-pack marketing opportunities

From a marketing standpoint, multi-packs mark a major departure from the traditional single-pack presentation. Unlike the limited opportunities for branding on a single pre-roll package, a pre-roll multi-pack offers more real estate to promote your brand and tell your story. There are many available options, from push packs, pull packs and cigarette boxes to custom button boxes and custom tins.

Impact of pre-roll multi-packs on pricing strategy

Instead of offering just single packs and larger quantities of flower, multi-packs give cannabis companies the ability to offer customers a mid-range option. Multi-packs are also more cost-effective for consumers. Having the options of single-pack and multi-pack provides different price points that will appeal to a wider variety of consumers and various needs, whether enjoying on one’s own, stocking up, sharing at a gathering, or whatever.

Multi-Pack Customization Options

Pre-roll multi-packs can be customized to cater to individual consumer preferences, such as by offering sativa, indica and hybrid branded cones within a single multi-pack, so that your customers can try out different varieties before buying a larger quantity. You can also use individual labels to identify specific strains in a mixed package.

As for cannabis packaging, you can choose from fully customizable, child-resistant push packs, easy-to-open pull packs, sturdy snap paks and a large selection of tin boxes in various colors and sizes. Multi-pack jars and tubes can also be customized to align with your brand.

At Custom Cones USA, our Pre-Roll Experts keep a close eye on the cannabis industry so we can address the evolving preferences of different segments of cannabis consumers. For example, dogwalker pre-rolls - mini, personal-sized pre-rolled cones filled with about 0.3 grams of flower – are currently enjoying a surge in popularity, and we offer specially designed dogwalker mini multi-pack jars that you can use to directly market your brand to this growing segment of consumers. As with our other multi-pack options, these dogwalker mini multi-pack jars can be fully customized with your logo, branding and message.

Maintaining Product Freshness and Quality in Pre-Roll Multi-Packs

One very important consideration in offering multi-packs is keeping the product fresh and the quality high, for an enjoyable smoking experience. This is especially critical for the terpenes, which are highly volatile, even in the most optimal packaging.

For multi-pack packaging, we recommend using moisture or humidity packs, such as the Bodeva humidity packs. If you use paper packaging, we highly recommend opting for overwrapping, which uses BOPP material (biaxially-oriented polypropylene) and maintains a tight seal, preserving the product’s freshness. For budget-conscious businesses, we also offer shrink wrap services, although this isn’t as effective as a barrier against oxygen and moisture.

Navigating Multi-Pack Regulatory Complexities

It’s important to note that regulations regarding cannabis multi-packs will depend on where your products are being sold. Different states and markets have different pre-roll packaging regukations, though the most common of these are the requirements for child-resistant (CR) and tamper-evident packaging—and that certain product information must be clearly displayed.

Some markets, such as Vermont, even regulate the types of packaging you can use.

But don’t worry, the Pre-Roll Experts at Custom Cones USA can help your business to navigate these state-by-state packaging regulations so that you can comply with the rules while offering the best products to your customers and promoting your brand.