With numerous benefits for producers and consumers, gummies continue to dominate the cannabis edibles category.
The gummy format allows manufacturers to easily portion pieces and control dosing, while the familiarity, uniformity and discreetness of gummies make them attractive to consumers, said Rachael Smith, corporate communications specialist, and Ben Gaines, vice president of marketing, Wyld.
“They’re a great choice for consumers who aren’t comfortable with inhalables or are looking for consistent cannabinoid content, which is harder to get with flower or concentrates,” Smith and Gaines said in an email interview. “Gummies work really well at providing a cannabis experience that’s predictable and repeatable, and consumers really value that dependability.”
Building on consumer interest and adoption of the category, manufacturers and brand owners are expanding beyond traditional offerings with products made with minor cannabinoids and rosin.
Market outlook
BDSA reports that gummies make up the largest share of dollar sales across the markets it tracks without restrictions on edible form factors.
Specifically, gummies represented 69% of edible dollar sales between January and April 2023 in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Oregon.
Gummies represented 10% of total dollar sales across all product categories for those markets.
Furthermore, BDSA’s consumer insights data revealed that gummies are the cannabis form factor consumed by the greatest percent of the population — even though flower sales were four times the size of gummy dollar sales across BDSA’s tracked markets in April and May.
BDSA noted 49% of consumers across adult-use and medical states claimed to have consumed a gummy edible in the past six months, up 2.8 percentage points since fall 2022. Meanwhile, 47% claimed to have consumed flower in the past six months.
Among edible consumers, BDSA reported that gummies are the most consumed and preferred form factor, with 72% of past six-month edible consumers report consuming gummies. Nearly half (47%) of past six-month edible consumers cited gummies as their preferred form factor.
BDSA also asked consumers why they turn to gummies, and 36% of past six-month edible consumers cite “ease of use,” while 34% cited “taste/flavor options.”
Minor cannabinoids and cacao fruit
Edibles makers continue to explore the potential of minor cannabinoids such as cannabichromene (CBC) and (cannabigerol) CBG.
In February, Wana Brands debuted 1:1:1 CBG/CBD/THC in Colorado. Featuring a Passionfruit Pineapple flavor, each gummy contains 10 mg CBD, 10 mg THC and 10 mg CBG, known for its power to elevate the stress-relieving neurotransmitter GABA.
The 1:1:1 gummies were one of the newest additions to Wana Brands’ Classic line, which offers experiences that take effect in about 60 minutes and offset in about six hours.
Meanwhile, Wyld has debuted a sativa-enhanced Blood Orange gummy containing both THC and CBC. Introduced in April, the gummy is Wyld’s first to feature CBC, which is known for its potentially mood boosting and euphoric effects.
“When we introduce a new product it’s because we believe it brings value to the consumer,” Gaines and Smith said. “CBC was exciting for us when we began testing, and we knew that we had a winning combination of flavor and potency to give the consumer something new. It’s early, but the sales and reviews show us there’s huge interest in new options, and we expect continued growth for this gummy.”
Manufacturers aren’t only exploring unique cannabis ingredients. Earlier this year, Massachusetts-based Insa launched limited-edition gummies made with cacao fruit juice. Derived from cocoa pods, cacao fruit juice is gaining interest in the traditional confectionery category for its antioxidant properties and for boosting the sustainability of cocoa production.
Insa’s Superfruit Tropical Citrus Drops featured cacao fruit and natural citrus juices, offering a slightly sour flavor. Each piece featured 5 mg THC.
Running with rosin
Many edibles brands are seeking to combine the best of what gummies and flower have to offer by developing products with rosin and live rosin. These solventless extraction methods preserve cannabinoids and terpenes, offering a full-flavor and well-rounded consumption experience.
Last fall, Wyld debuted its Good Tide brand, which features three varieties of gummies made with solventless hash rosin.
“The true-to-plant experience that rosin brings, when paired with Good Tide’s tropical flavors, offers an opportunity to taste and feel the plant with a vacation state of mind,” Smith and Gaines said. “And, like Wyld gummies, Good Tide is Climate Neutral Certified and made with high quality, real-fruit ingredients.”
Kiva Confections, which originally introduced a solventless edible in 2010, recently added live rosin-infused Yuzu Fizz gummies to its core Lost Farm collection. The gummies are made with Sour Dream, a strain that crosses Blue Dream and Sour Diesel. Sativa-dominant Sour Dream offers aromas of pungent gas and sugared grapefruit.
The company also introduced limited-edition Golden Pineapple gummies infused with Papaya live rosin. These gummies feature tropical tree fruit on a thick, earthy background. The indica-dominant Papaya strain also produces a spicy, peppery finish.
Meanwhile, Grön reformulated its line of edibles, including its sugar-coated pearls and mega pearls gummies, to include rosin. The Oregon-based company said it made the move to better serve a sophisticated audience in the state.
“We’re excited to bring the latest cannabis extraction technology to our Oregon community,” said Christine Smith, founder and CEO of Grön. “We pride ourselves on providing innovative edibles that are good for the customer and good for the earth.”
In May, The Parent Company introduced solventless hash rosin gummies in California under the Mirayo brand, developed in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning guitarist Carlos Santana. The gummies come in the shape of the Sacred Heart, an iconic figure found on Santana's hats and merchandise. Featuring 10 mg THC, they are available in flavors such as Guava, Prickly Pear and Raspberry.
"Cannabis, to me, is a door to enhanced meditative reflection and creative expression," Santana said. "With Mirayo, we hope to help more people tap into their creative zone and find kindness and compassion as well as spirituality, individuality and higher consciousness.”
A month later, Pax — traditionally a vape brand — expanded into the edibles space with a line of live rosin gummies. They’re available in three flavors: Heirloom Peach, with a guava note for added complexity and balance; Wild Strawberry, with a hint of lemon for a nostalgic nod to strawberry lemonade; and Summer Mango, with notes of lime for an unexpected depth of tropical flavor.
“We’re really excited to build on the success of our award-winning PAX Live Rosin pods for Era, which has been met with an incredible consumer response, with the launch of our new line of Live Rosin Gummies,” said Brian Witlin, vice president of product development at PAX. “We’re focused on bringing products to market that directly meet the needs and evolving preferences of consumers, which in this case, means carefully selected real fruit ingredients and solventless, full-spectrum rosin that not only deliver high quality and purity, but are a truly delicious experience.”
Verano also launched On the Rocks, a solventless extracts brand. In addition to cartridges, badder, coin, hash and temple balls, the range includes strain-specific gummies with live rosin crafted through solventless ice-water extraction.
“Introducing On The Rocks solventless extracts to our expanding brand portfolio recognizes and responds to cannabis connoisseurs’ appetite for refined experiences, flavors and formats,” said George Archos, Verano founder and CEO. “Solventless extraction methods have been leveraged for centuries, and we’re excited to harness that tradition by offering On The Rocks hand-crafted extracts across five of our core markets to satisfy consumers’ increasing demand in the category.”
Earlier this month, Curaleaf rebranded and expanded its Select X Bites portfolio to include Live Rosin X Bites, which are set to launch in Arizona and Florida.
This article was originally posted on www.cannabisproductsinsider.com.
