Editor's Note: Download the audio version below and click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
This week, Harrison Bard, co-founder and CEO of Custom Cones USA and DaySavers, is back on the Cannabis Equipment News podcast to discuss where pre-roll manufacturers still need help and why his company joined the new Science of Smokability study.
According to Bard, pre-rolls in some markets, like Michigan, are in a race to the bottom, with operators making cheaper pre-rolls. However, he expects the markets to mature, prices to stabilize, and the focus to shift to pre-roll quality.
Bard notes that operators could still use help closing and finishing pre-rolls, which he says are the slowest and most labor-intensive parts of manufacturing.
Bard's consumer-facing business, DaySavers, recently partnered with retailer Urban Outfitters. He says the company wanted to expand into smoking accessories and reached out. The company sells 10-packs of artisan tubes and the brand's Perfect Pack filling machine. The collaboration has thus far been a hit, according to Bard.
Finally, Bard's commitment to science and education remains unwavering, and the company recently partnered with the Cannabis Research Coalition and The Network of Applied Pharmacognosy on the Science of Smokability, a series of scientific experiments over multiple years that will analyze cultivation and processing metrics to evaluate which variables produce the most pleasant and least harmful smoking experience. DaySavers is paying 200 participants $4.20 to smoke a pair of free pre-rolls and fill out a qualitative survey. Bard says some spots are still available for potential participants.
In March, DaySavers launched the "Ultimate Stoner Dream Job," and the response has been overwhelming, with more than 35,000 people applying for the position. Bard says the search has been narrowed to a few content creators specializing in videos. The winning candidate will be hired to make engaging entertainment content.
Jump around:
- The new deal with Urban Outfitters. (2:09)
- Changes in oversaturated markets. (2:55)
- The industry still needs help with pre-roll production. (3:35)
- Persistent issues with pre-roll consistency and uniformity. (6:35)
- Will pre-rolls be the biggest product category? (8:11)
- The Science of Smokability study. (9:33)
- The best pre-roll infusion method. (17:00)
- The Ultimate Stoner Dream Job. (19:06)
- The value of a Headset subscription. (30:25)
- Opportunities for future cannabis studies, especially in vapes. (34:45)
Please make sure to like, subscribe and share the podcast. You could also help us out by giving the podcast a positive review. Finally, to email the podcast or suggest a potential guest, you can reach David Mantey at [email protected].
