When many people think of cannabis, they think of THC, the cannabinoid that humans have sought for centuries for its powerful intoxicating effects. CBD has disrupted this trend in recent years, even helping supercharge the growth of the medical cannabis movement as more people became wise to the benefits of THC’s more mellow sister. While CBD has gained a strong foothold on dispensary shelves, brands and retailers are already looking toward the next minor cannabinoids to provide more targeted solutions to consumer-need states.
Several minor cannabinoids have already made their way to dispensary shelves. To make sense of these trends, we turn to the new Minor Cannabinoid filters in BDSA’s Retail Sales Tracking service, which show that the most successful minor cannabinoids–by a long shot–are Cannabinol (CBN) and Cannabigerol (CBG).
CBN and CBG
A mildly psychoactive cannabinoid, the distinguishing characteristic of CBN is its perceived benefit as a sleep aid and pain reliever. When looking at the CBN category, products marketed as sleep aids top the list for legal cannabis product sales. BDSA Consumer Insights data continues to prove that wanting to sleep better is one of the top-claimed benefits of consuming cannabis, with ~50% of consumers citing better sleep as a benefit of edible consumption and ~55% of consumers claiming that better sleep is a benefit of inhalable consumption.
A lesser-known cannabinoid that is the parent molecule of both THC and CBD, CBG is not intoxicating. The cannabinoid has several properties that make it very promising for potential therapeutic applications. Anecdotal evidence suggests that CBG may aid in pain relief, treat gastrointestinal disorders and degenerative neurological conditions, and may hold antibacterial properties. While the host of potential applications makes this cannabinoid very promising, the pain relief benefits alone could give CBG broad appeal across the consumer base, as BDSA Consumer Insights show that ~60% of consumers claim that pain relief is a major benefit from using topicals and ~50% of consumers claim that pain relief is a major benefit of inhalable consumption.
Even in the first ten months of 2021, the number of products touting CBN and CBG content increased dramatically across both mature and developing markets tracked by BDSA.
BDSA Five Best-Selling CBN products (BDSA Tracked Markets: CA, CA, CO, FL, IL, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV and OR)
Wyld – Elderberry Gummies – 2:1 THC:CBN
Wyld’s flagship sleep-aid product is the best-selling CBN product of 2021 so far. BDSA is tracking ~$25 million in sales for January-October 2021 across AZ, CA, CO, and NV.
Kiva Confections – Midnight Blueberry Camino Gummy – 5:1 THC:CBN
The premier sleep-aid product sold by superstar edibles brand Kiva, this 5:1 THC:CBN gummies brought in a total of ~$15 million in sales across AZ, CA, MI, IL, and NV per BDSA’s Retail Sales tracking in these markets.
Incredibles – Snoozzzeberry Gummy – 5:1 THC:CBN
Incredibles has risen to the top of BDSA product rankings for dollar sales for CBN sleep-aid products with their Snoozzzeberry gummy products.
Wyld – Elderberry Gummies – 1:1 THC:CBN
Wyld’s Elderberry Gummies with a 1:1 THC:CBN ratio were the 4th best-selling CBN product of 2021 so far per BDSA’s Retail Sales Tracking.
Plus Products – Cloudberry Sleep Gummies – 5:1 THC:CBN
A top-selling brand based in the CA market, Plus Products has seen impressive sales with their products featuring minor cannabinoids.
Incredibles – Snoozzzeberry Chocolate Bar – 5:1 THC:CBN
Incredibles claims another spot in the list of BDSA’s top-selling CBN products with their Snoozzzeberry Chocolate Bar, available in CO, IL, MA, MD and NV.
BDSA’s 5 Best-Selling CBG Products
Wyld – Pear Gummies – 1:1 THC:CBG
Another big winner for edibles giant Wyld, these 1:1 THC:CBG Gummies brought in ~$10 million in sales per BDSA’s Retail Sales Tracking across AZ, CA, CO, NV, and OR.
Wonder Wellness Co. – Prickly Pear Focus Gummies – 1:1 THC:CBG
Wonder Wellness Co., a Cresco Labs brand, has a top-selling CBG product in the IL and MI markets with their Prickly Pear Focus Gummies.
Cheeba Chews – Caramel Trifecta Gummies – 1:1:1 THC:CBG:CBD
A legacy brand from California’s medical market, Cheeba Chews Caramel Trifecta Gummies are a BDSA top-ranked CBG product in 2021.
Mary’s Medicinals – Transdermal Compound – 1:1:1 THC:CBG:CBD
One of the only topical products on the list of top-selling minor cannabinoid products, Mary’s Medicinals THC:CBG:CBD Transdermal Compound falls in the top 5 of BDSA’s CBG products.
Coast Cannabis Co. – Tangerine Gummies – 1:1:1 THC:CBG:CBD
A top BDSA tracked cannabis company in MA, Coast Cannabis Co.’s Tangerine Gummies, round out the top 5 BDSA CBG products.
