Pre-rolls aren’t just a backup option anymore for stoners anymore. They’re not just something you grab at the counter because you forgot papers or don’t feel like rolling a jeezy or bleezy. And according to our survey of pot smokers and cannabis product sales data from dispensaries, pre-rolls have become one of the most reliable and popular ways people consume cannabis across age groups and regional markets
And this aint just hype, it’s backed by nearly a thousand survey responses from tokin’ stoners like yourself from around the country and state-wide sales data from 14 legal markets – so let’s get after it shall we!
From Dispensary Add-On to Power Product
Pre-rolls are now the third-largest product category in cannabis behind flower and vapes, generating more than $4.1 billion in a year and a half’s time. What’s wilder than pre-roll revenue is how fast they’ve become part of everyday buying habits for consumers. Over the last few years, monthly pre-roll sales have nearly doubled, climbing from roughly 14 million units to more than 27 million per month.
And that growth isn’t just coming from new legal markets opening, pre-rolls are now taking up more space in the average consumer shopping basket at dispensaries, especially as an add-on to flower and other cannabis product purchases. And with pre-rolls being a ready-to-smoke option carrying a massive selection of formats and pack sizes, including infused joints and pre-roll multi-packs, cannabis consumers have made them a default choice rather than a convenient fallback option.
Who’s Actually Smoking Pre-Rolls?
The short answer: nearly everyone.
More than 82% of cannabis smokers say they buy pre-rolls, and 94% say joints are their preferred way to smoke. The average respondent in our study was 43 years old, with ages ranging from 19 to 76, and the gender split came out almost perfectly even. Many of these consumers aren’t new to purchasing cannabis products, many have been smoking for decades and still reach for pre-rolls on the regular.
And heavy consumption was the norm among respondents. Nearly 80% use cannabis multiple times a day with joints remaining the go-to method, ahead of vapes, edibles or bowls.
When you break it down by generation of smokers, Millennials lead the way, accounting for just under half of all pre-roll purchases. Gen X follows, then Gen Z and followed by Boomers who make up a healthy portion of sales. Men purchase slightly more pre-rolls than women overall, but the categories momentum is clear between every demographic group.
Sales data tells the same story as our consumer survey. Across all tracked legal markets, more than 300 million pre-roll products were sold in a single year, totaling roughly $3 billion. And that number continues to rise year over year.
Pre-rolls now make up about 15% of the entire U.S. cannabis market, up from around 12% just a few years ago. That increase shows a real shift in preference, not just more people buying weed, but more people choose pre-rolls specifically as their go-to consumption method.
Where the Action Is
Pre-rolls are sold everywhere cannabis is legal, but some states really stand out. California still leads in total revenue thanks to its massive population, but Michigan however, sells more pre-rolls than any other state by unit sales, driven by the lowest average prices in the country. Furthermore, Massachusetts has one of the highest pre-roll market shares while New York shows strong demand despite higher prices in their first few years of operation.
But Michigan is especially telling, with average pre-roll prices far below the national average, consumers buy more often and in larger quantities, showing just how price-sensitive and volume-driven the pre-roll category can be.
When consumers were asked what comes to mind when they think about pre-rolls, convenience dominated. People like that the work is already done, but that’s not the whole story.
Many consumers also associate pre-rolls with variety and creativity. They see them as a way to try new strains, experience infused products or smoke something designed differently than a standard hand-rolled joint. Put simply, consumers view pre-rolls as one of the most innovative product formats in cannabis right now.
Pre-Roll Consumer Buying Habits
When buying single joints, full-gram pre-rolls remain the most popular choice, however half-gram and smaller “dogwalker” sizes fill a specific need, but the real momentum is in pre-roll multi-packs.
Most of the top-selling pre-roll products in the country are multi-packs, especially five-packs of half-gram joints. Consumers like the flexibility, the lower cost per joint and having options and product volume on hand. So while full gram joints dominate single-unit sales, pre-roll multi-packs dominate repeat purchases.
National powerhouse Jeeter has emerged as the clear leader in U.S. pre-roll sales driven largely by their infused lineup. The brand accounts for nearly 9% of all pre-roll purchases nationwide.
STIIIZY follows closely behind, with massive sales volume in states like California and Michigan. And brands like Dogwalkers, Cali-Blaze and Presidential Cannabis Co. round out the top performing brands, each carving out a lane unique to their brand.
What these brands have in common is consistency, strong branding, predictable outcomes, quality and enticing packaging.
Potency Still Rules
When asked what matters most when choosing a pre-roll, consumers overwhelmingly pointed to potency as expected, and price came in second, followed by brand. This preference aligns near-perfectly with what’s happening on dispensary shelves, that infused pre-rolls are now the top-selling segment within category.
Infused joints featuring flower combined with concentrates, now lead pre-roll sales across every demographic in the States. Around 70% of consumers say they buy infused pre-rolls, though many reserve them for special occasions rather than everyday use.
This growth is driven by both higher potency and solid execution. Kief-coated joints, oil-infused flower and hash-hole style rolls have all found loyal audiences among stoners. Kief remains the most common infusion, followed closely by live resin and rosin.
Paper Type and Premium Options
Paper type matters more than people will admit, hemp papers and ultra-refined white papers are the most commonly used, with natural brown papers and wraps following close behind. Consumers are increasingly aware that not all papers types yield the same experience.
Premium filter tips are another clear preference trend, with nearly 60% of respondents saying they have purchased pre-rolls with glass, wood or ceramic tips. Glass was the leader of the pack, but new ceramic tips are gaining traction fast. Many consumers keep and reuse these premium filter tips, cleaning the tips with a little iso to prepare them for the next roll up.
And most buyers are usually willing to pay a few extra dollars for the premium experience of a luxury filter times, and sometimes more.
The Bottom Line
Even as demand for pre-rolls continues to grow, prices have continued to fall, with the average price of a pre-roll today being significantly lower than it was just a few years ago, making the category more accessible to consumers than ever before. Prices still vary wildly by state, but the overall consensus is that consumers are getting more value, variety and quality at a lower price point.
Pre-rolls have officially evolved from convenience product to cultural cannabis staple. They’re smoked by every generation, purchased for everyday use and special occasions, and are increasingly defined by potency, innovation and purchasing options.
So what does the data tell us? That pre-rolled joints and blunts are no longer just about convenience, they’re about preference.