We’re rounding up the top 5 updates to the cannabis market as 2021 nears an end.
Perceptions around cannabis continue to evolve as it hits mainstream markets in new ways.
Convenience cannabis
Uber is making it easier to buy cannabis. The delivery and ride hailing platform lets people in Ontario, Canada, purchase cannabis products through the app for pickup, and once delivery is legalized will deliver right to their door, tapping into the $5 billion dollar Canadian marijuana market.
Cannabis experiences
Starting the week of December 8th, visitors in New York City can take part in The Stone Age: an immersive exhibit about cannabis. Interested parties are encouraged to attend while under the influence, where they’ll learn about the benefits of cannabis and the states of being high. Located in Chelsea, the installation will remain open until October 2022.
Luxury edibles
An original, luxury cannabis brand re-launched in October of this year. Hervé’s macarons and candies are made with vegan recipes, gluten free, and low in calories. Even the packaging, though large and deluxe, is fully recyclable.
Industry tie-ups
The tobacco industry is pivoting to marijuana. British American Tobacco, the UK’s largest tobacco firm, is investing in cannabis sales and moving away from traditional cigarettes. In an effort to reduce the health impact of its products, the firm bought into Canadian medical cannabis maker Organigram in March, redirecting their strategy to “reduced harm in tobacco and nicotine alternatives, encouraging people to switch" to cannabis products, their chief marketing officer Kingsley Wheaton told Radio 4's Today Programme.
Cannabis collabs
Justin Beiber is speaking out about the positive affects weed and cannabis have had on his life and mental health, now openly collaborating with California-based brand Palms to sell pre-rolls. Called PEACHES, after his pop hit, sales will benefit non-profits including Veterans Walk and Talk, a group that advocates for the use of medicinal cannabis for veterans, and the Last Prisoner Project, advocating for the criminal justice reform of cannabis convictions.
Legal cannabis is smoking out old stigmas, rising in popularity and shifting retail formats for it’s own growing, prominent market.
Main image courtesy of Hervé.