There’s a reason that more than a decade into the legal cannabis industry, the myth that machine-made joints compromise quality still exists—many automatic pre-roll machines do compromise quality.
But not all. And the technology behind them improves every day.
The machines that will survive this fitful industry and carry it into the future will be those that can strike a balance between automation and artistry, as that will be the only way to achieve a consistent quality product at scale. Without a scaled production, it will be hard for any brand to break into cannabis, let alone survive.
What Does “Quality” Mean for Pre-Rolls?
We recently rolled our 100 millionth joint at RollPros, and what we’ve learned along the way is that “quality,” for the pre-roll consumer, means a joint that burns evenly and doesn’t run. They don’t want to waste their money on a product that doesn’t deliver the experience it promises.
We’ve also learned that at this point in the industry, consumers have room to consider differentiators when defining a quality pre-roll. There are so many products on the shelf for them to choose from; they’re weighing the quality of the flower, the type of paper used, the crutch used or not used, the packaging, and the branding.
Before investing in an automatic pre-roll machine, look for those that offer the flexibility to easily differentiate your product. Surprisingly, there’s a lot you can individualize on a product with only two ingredients (flower + paper).
The Artistry of Machine-Made Joints
You don’t need hand-rolled joints to achieve an artisan product, and you certainly won’t be scaling anything by utilizing manual labor. You need a machine that produces a consistent pre roll and is backed by a reliable team operating with forethought.
When looking for an automatic pre-roll machine to scale your business, be wary of the type of consistent pre roll it produces. A pre roll that canoes every time you light it is still consistent, just not the type of repeatable characteristic your consumers are looking for.
After 100 million joints, we’ve learned that the true “art” behind an automated process is constant iteration, both on our side and our clients' side.
On our end, we’re continuously improving the BlackBird, the industry’s only automatic pre-roll machine that rolls joints, rather than stuffing cones. With every machine sold, we learn more about how our customers are using it, the kinds of conditions they’re using it in, the changing inputs they’re trying, etc. And we use each new piece of information to improve the next machine that goes out the door.
On our customers’ end, the same logic applies. We encourage them to seek out feedback from their consumers and the budtenders selling their products to those consumers. The ones that find the most success are those that continuously update their product based on the opinions of their buyers. Some have found greater success producing more than one type/size of pre-roll to serve different audiences. The BlackBird makes it easy for them to change up the paper, crutch, branding, size, and infusion of their pre rolls.
Incorporating Automation Into Your Pre-Roll Business
The future of pre-rolls is automated. Hand-rolling is not sustainable, even if it might allow you to charge slightly more for that touch. In the long run, it’s not a scalable option.
But you don’t have to sacrifice quality when you go automated. Technology has advanced enough since the first legal rec sales of 2012 that many automatic pre-roll machines are capable of producing an artisan product at scale. Choosing the right machine for the future of your business means prioritizing three things in your search:
- The quality of the pre-roll the machine produces. Remember what quality means to your customers and your production.
- The flexibility the machine offers when it comes to differentiating your product. Can you easily change paper types, crutches, sizing, branding, etc.?
- The service the team behind the machine provides. Do you have access to customer service once you purchase the machine, or are you flying solo once it’s delivered?
Five years and 100 million+ joints later, these are the three things we’ve learned pre-roll manufacturers should focus on the most when shifting to automated pre-roll production. Those that stay manual, or choose a machine that doesn’t give them room to grow and change, have struggled to stay afloat as the industry’s grown. And that growth isn’t slowing any time soon.
