Pre-rolls surpass flower as top cannabis category by units sold

Pre-rolls overtook flower as the best-selling cannabis category by units sold in the United States last year. Over the past 12 months, consumers purchased 410 million packs of pre-rolls, a 14% increase from the prior period, while packaged flower sales totaled 378 million units, according to Seattle-based data firm Headset.

Flower still leads in dollar value, generating $9.58 billion compared with $3.75 billion for pre-rolls. Pre-rolls cost less per unit than flower, which has contributed to their faster unit growth as price compression affects producer margins.

production and branding Sluggers Hit produces 40,000 pre-rolls daily at a 12-acre facility in Sacramento operated by Natura Life Sciences. The company grew 80,000 pounds of cannabis last year inside 18 greenhouses and generated about $60 million in revenue, with a target of $85 million by the end of 2026.

The brand packages five pre-rolls in collectible tins that include a trading card. Sluggers Hit has secured licensing deals in Canada, Arizona, New York, and Massachusetts, with further expansion planned for Maryland, New Jersey, and New Mexico this year.

Company background and manufacturing model Natura invested about $90 million to construct more than 200,000 square feet of cultivation and manufacturing space. About 20% of its revenue comes from contract manufacturing for other brands, while the remainder is generated by its own labels, including Sluggers Hit.

CEO Ori Bytton said the first production batch sold out in a day in 2021. Cofounder Seth Sznapstajler stated that Sluggers uses only whole flower rather than trim, distinguishing it from earlier pre-roll products. Cannabis entrepreneur Berner, cofounder of Cookies, said the Sacramento campus resembles a technology company facility and credited a conversation with Natura cofounder Josh Schmidt for the brand name Sluggers.