If you’re starting a new cannabis or hemp brand and are currently developing your product line – or you’re in the midst of a product line revamp – the best thing you can do is consider the needs of your customers.
What you might want in a product may or may not be important to the customers you’re trying to sell to. The best way to find out is to see how your product concepts line up against the products proven best for different use cases, based on scientific research and consumer preference.
In this article, we’ll look at why understanding customer use cases is important and take a look at the most popular cannabis and hemp use cases. Then, we’ll recommend products for each use that are likely to fly off shelves (note that we’ll use “THCA” to refer to THC products, as this is the designation used within the legal hemp industry).
Understanding Customer Use Cases
In the cannabis and hemp industries, understanding customer use cases is important because it allows your business to:
- Solve customer problems: It goes without saying that most people use cannabis or hemp to address a specific need or pain point. Whether recreational or therapeutic, understanding people’s needs allows you to choose products that truly help your customers. This helps you sell products and build a positive reputation.
- Speak the language of your customer: Choosing products with use cases backed by scientific and anecdotal evidence allows you to authoritatively market them for these use cases. Your customers care more about what your product does than what it is. Being able to market your products in terms of the benefits they provide and problems they solve will always outperform any marketing that tries to pass off features as benefits. This helps you sell products and improves your conversion rate, whether that be on a website or in-store.
- Build relationships with customers: When you choose products that are truly beneficial to people and market them effectively for these use cases, you’ll have an easier time getting repeat orders from customers (and therefore increasing their lifetime value, or LTV). Over time, people will see your brand as a partner in their health and well-being, rather than just a supplier of products.
Most Popular Cannabis and Hemp Use Cases
Evidence on the most common reasons people use cannabis and hemp is scattered across a variety of sources.
That said, academic journals and third-party sources tend to point to these five use cases as the most popular:
- Recreation
- Sleep
- Physical discomfort
- Mental relaxation
- Focus & energy
These apply to all cannabis and hemp delivery methods; preferred delivery methods are more strongly correlated with age than with use case.
Best Products for Recreation
- THCA Pre-Rolls (Hybrid or Sativa-Dominant): THCA pre-rolls offer an easy, no-prep way for people to enjoy the euphoric, relaxing effects of the plant at home or in social situations. With uplifting effects and a fast onset, they’re perfect for parties, beach days, and casual use. You can curate a strain-specific selection of pre-rolls, or, you can focus more on having plenty of options for each type of strain (as Carolina Hemp Cafe, for example, does).
- THCA Vapes (Live Resin or Terpene-Rich): THCA cartridges made with live resin deliver flavorful vapor that converts to THC when heated. Effects from vapes are fast, euphoric, and often cerebral, making them ideal for social or creative recreational use. Their potency and clean terpene profiles make them a recreational favorite, particularly among younger demographics.
- Sativa THCA Flower: Uplifting, high-potency flower delivers a bright, energetic high when smoked or vaped. Sativa strains are great for people who like consuming during daytime activities, such as outdoor adventures, concerts, or elevated hangouts.
Best Products for Sleep
- CBN Gummies: Edibles containing cannabinol (CBN), a naturally occurring cannabinoid with relaxing, sedative effects, have emerged as a popular sleep aid. Blends containing THC and CBD in addition to CBN may also serve customers who need stronger (THC) or more balance (CBD) effects.
- Full-Spectrum CBD Oil: Oils and tinctures containing the full spectrum of naturally occurring cannabinoids render more therapeutic effects than CBD in isolation, but they don’t create a head high effect. This makes full-spectrum CBD oil a great choice for wellness-focused customers who want general mental relaxation at night without feeling noticeably sedated.
- Indica THCA Flower: Indica flower delivers deep relaxation when smoked or vaped, making it ideal for customers who want a stronger sleep aid. The combination of THCA’s potency and the rich natural terpene profile in the plant makes indica flower highly effective for sleep.
Best Products for Physical Discomfort
- CBD Topical Creams: CBD topical creams are applied to the skin, rendering deep relaxation for the muscles and joints. Topicals containing cannabigerol (CBG) in addition to CBD may be especially effective at addressing physical discomfort. And because topicals don’t deliver cannabinoids to the bloodstream, they’re a great choice for anyone looking for localized support without any sort of mental sensation (think athletes, older adults, and similar demographics).
- THC:CBD Oil: Oils and tinctures containing THC and CBD in a 1:1 or similar ratio are especially effective for discomfort, as the potency of THC increases the comforting aspects of CBD and helps promote mental relaxation. Large amounts of CBD help to reduce THC’s more extreme side effects, making for a more therapeutic experience.
- THCA Diamonds: These ultra-pure (99%+) THCA crystals can be vaporized or mixed with flower and smoked for extremely potent and fast-acting physical relaxation. While typically too powerful for those new to cannabis, hemp and THC, diamonds are popular among more experienced consumers or those needing powerful relief.
Best Products for Mental Relaxation
- Full-Spectrum CBD Gummies: Gummies containing full-spectrum CBD extract are powerful enough to promote mental relaxation, but they won’t create a high. This makes them a preferred pick among customers who need daytime mental balance without any inebriation.
- THCA Pre-Rolls (Indica-Leaning Hybrid): Pre-rolls with an indica-leaning hybrid strain offer a smooth body calm and gentle headspace without creating knockout high effects. They’re ideal for people wanting something stronger to unwind after work or ease stress without being overly sedating.
- CBD + CBG Oil: Oils and tinctures containing this cannabinoid combination in a 1:1 ratio or similar can promote relaxation while also boosting mental clarity. The simultaneous balance and focus the CBD:CBG combo provides makes it ideal for people wanting to manage stress while also performing at full capacity at work or other daytime endeavors.
Best Products for Focus & Energy
- Sativa THCA Flower or Pre-Rolls: Uplifting flower strains – or pre-rolls made from them – can spark alertness, mental clarity and creativity. They’re the perfect product for tackling projects, workouts or brainstorming sessions.
- CBD + CBG Edibles: Just as it is beneficial for physical discomfort and stress, the CBD:CBG blend is also remarkable at promoting mental clarity. CBG brings feelings of energy, while CBD reduces any jittery effects that CBG may cause at higher doses.
- Live Rosin THCA Vapes (Sativa): Solventless and rich in natural terpenes, these THCA vapes deliver uplifting cerebral effects and sharp mental stimulation. They’re a great alternative to flower for those who don’t want to smoke but still want the fast-acting effects of inhaled products.
By keeping customer use cases and pain points in mind, you’ll be able to create a product line that brings recreational enjoyment and therapeutic results to your customers. Plus, your offerings will be backed by abundant scientific research and anecdotal evidence for their respective use cases.
Carefully consider your customers’ needs when choosing what ingredients and formats should be most prominent in your product line, and marketing becomes more successful.
