As marijuana becomes more popular, consumers expect a consistent percentage of THC in the products they buy. While cannabis brands now deliver products that offer that consistency, attracting more casual customers may require even more fine-tuned accuracy in dosing.

At least, that’s the argument in a recently published New York Times Magazine piece that delves into how cannabis companies continue to experiment to create products that offer a consistent level of THC. 

As reported in the magazine, now that weed has increasingly become a “regular consumer product, customers are increasingly seeking the same ‘proven consistency’ they expect from potato chips and soap.”

That echoes NBC, which called creating products that offer a consistently high “marijuana’s holy grail.”

Many cannabis companies already are delivering consistent products.

Of course, many cannabis companies already deliver consistent products, especially in the edibles market. But the New York Times Magazine article offers a glimpse into the challenges cannabis entrepreneurs face in convincing new, more casual users that this is the case.

If they already offer a consistent product, the key may be developing a strong marketing campaign to give new consumers more dosing education in order to build trust.

Cannabis already is a $10 billion industry across the globe, close to $8 billion in the United States alone. It’s been rapid growth for an industry that wasn’t even legal in most of the United States 10 years ago, and one that remains illegal in all but 11 states and the District of Columbia for adult use.

There is much room for growth. For example, the Times noted annual alcohol sales have reached $200 billion. For cannabis to reach that level, the magazine argued, people will want to know that what they buy “will give them the effect they want.”

The magazine points out this is a relatively new field of research. Much of the cannabis research being done now is built upon work done by Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam, who first identified THC in cannabis in the 1960s. He also isolated cannabigerol (CBG) and mapped the structure of cannabidiol (CBD), according to New York Times Magazine.

Mechoulam also first used the term “entourage effect,” which describes the interplay between the human body and cannabinoids in determining the effects of cannabis.

Consistency is a top need for consumers, a recent survey says.

In a survey of cannabis consumers in 2019, BDS Analytics listed the delivery of “consistent, low-dose, dialed in products” as one of the Top 10 trends for cannabis. The Colorado-based marketing analysis company, which focuses on the cannabis industry, reported that “increasingly more cannabis consumers care deeply about consistent dosing, and being able to carefully control the nature of their experiences.”

They found that 33 percent of edibles consumers prefer lose-dose products, while 40 percent prefer high-dose CBD products with a low amount of THC. Those numbers indicate a growing number of consumers want to use cannabis edibles as a wellness product, not to get high.

The survey also found that a growing number of consumers want clear labeling from cannabis companies about the dosage of each product and “cannabis in controlled doses that meet the expectations set by labeling.” Every legal state regulates labeling as required for edibles, but not necessarily for smokables.

That’s why an emphasis on consistency is a smart move by cannabis entrepreneurs. Most companies that produce edibles lead with this key advantage of their product. For example. Wana Brands gummies out of Colorado was among the first to offer a variety of edible dose levels. It is one of the reasons Wana grew to become the highest-selling brand in the state.

“Wana gummies are a customer favorite because they are potent and consistent. And they taste delicious. The recipes are refined so you don’t taste a dose of the cannabis as much as the treat,” founder Nancy Whiteman told Trip Savvy in 2019.