2018 Evolving Trends for Cannabis

As more and more states are moving towards the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, the cannabis commerce has boomed. It is considered to be nation’s fastest growing industry, spread across sectors from food to technology.

This has presented numerous opportunities from the cannabis industry, along with several emerging trends that have been identified.

Let’s take a look at the evolving trends for Cannabis for 2018.

Cannabis Clothing

Designers globally have been using the symbol for the marijuana leaf in their cannabis clothing collection. For Fall 2016 collection, Alexander Wang used the black- and- white pot design on coats and mohair skirts for a grunge look. Spring 2015 saw Mara Hoffman had cannabis leaves made across trousers and flowy maxi dresses. A$AP Rocky was spotted wearing a greenwashed Adidas logo ny Jeremy Scott.

Cannabis symbolism on clothing no longer sends a signal that the wearer of the clothing is a stoner but instead has become a symbol of freedom and the ability to express yourself in whatever way they would like. The trend is only catching on.

Science and research

The most important trend that has emerged with the federal government ease on marijuana based research and explosion in cannabis products, is the science supporting cannabis usage, efficacy and safety, closing the gap between research and policy.  

Beauty

Top luxury beauty brands with products ranging from massage oil, body serums to aromatherapy candles, have new hemp seed based range lined up and selling equally well in comparison to conventional products. Hemp seed oil is being touted to have omega fatty acids and amino acids in the ratio similar to human DNA and helps improve skin and hair condition.

CBD Oil

The breakout ingredient in the cannabis industry is the CBD oil, thanks to its steady rise in its retail growth and investments. This trend is expected to continue through 2021. CBD oil has medicinal and therapeutic benefits. A non-psychoactive extract from cannabis, CBD oil is showing up in lot of beauty and wellness products today.  

Pharma

One of the key factors that led to development of the cannabis industry is its medicinal benefits and applications to certain diseases. While medical consumers currently makeup a vast majority of the industry consumer, the ratio is expected to change with the advent of recreational cannabis market growth. However, the research and usage will continue to expand over the years.

Artisanal Products

With the traction in the world of corporate cannabis, the emphasis will soon move to small artisanal producers with small batch, unique, superior quality and specialized marijuana products. Cannabis companies will focus on artisan products with high end packaging as the consumers will warm up to luxury products, especially attractive packaging of vape pens. Luxury edibles and farm-to-table markets will also be on the rise. 

Tourism

Reports have shown that cannabis tourism has seen a significant increase with the advent of recreational marijuana. Weed-friendly inns, tours of local grown operations and cannabis massage are just a glimpse of what the future holds in the world of marijuana tourism. 

Agriculture-tech

According to the report from Salar Media Group and cannabis lifestyle website Civilized, the cannabis cultivation is leading to advancements in water and sustainability practices in agriculture. When California passed the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA) last year, it set new safety, health standards along with requirements for water consumption and prohibiting the use of volatile or poisonous solvents in cannabis preparations.

This has led to cannabis companies focusing on efficient use of water, rainwater harvesting, solar power usage along with efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. 

Genetic and intellectual property

The report also says that the future of the cannabis industry lies in product consistency and quality that can be derived from advances in genetics. Genetic advancements will help in creating more predictable and consistent products.

Luxury Cannabis Brands

The newest trend that depicts the height of cannabis industry is the rise of luxury cannabis products. Products ranging from marijuana cigar to chocolate bars contain high quality cannabis with fancy packaging are becoming increasingly popular. Not just products, but luxury cannabis brands are also focusing on high-end dispensaries and and gold rolling papers.

Consumer Research

As a combined effect of the rise of cannabis interest and use, there are advances in cannabis consumer research to fetch more data and make the industry consumer focused and smarter. Companies like software management company BioTrack THC and cannabis delivery company Eaze are using their data to create custom consumer reports.

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State regulation requires the companies to provide seed-to-sale tracking data, have given way to software solutions to provide a seamless link between companies and government.  

Conclusion

With more states beginning to legalize marijuana, these trends will continue to grow and gain momentum with more social acceptance. Once the industry gets federally legalized, North America will witness exceptional growth rate in sales volume, more scientific research, fresh products and increased investor interest.