The amount of growth in the cannabis industry in the past couple of years is staggering
Although slow at first, the cannabis industry has seen explosive growth – both in the U.S. and abroad – in the past couple of years. 10 states have now approved recreational marijuana and over 30 have given the green light to medical marijuana use. The federal government is even onboard, having recently passed the 2018 Farm Bill. That could be followed up this year with some form of marijuana legalization. As interest has increased, the industry has grown exponentially and there are five examples that show how it has changed.
Dispensaries are no longer designed to look like ganja huts. They care about interior design and even higher local artists and interior designers to help create welcoming environments for their clients.
When marijuana was first making its rounds, most people only looked to see if a strain was sativa or indica. These days, the selections run much deeper, with more emphasis being placed on cannabinoids. Today, consumers want to know how much tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) is in the product they’re buying. This has paved the way for complete educational courses being offered in order to train budtenders on how to relate to consumer preferences.
If you peruse older marijuana magazines, there was often a common theme. Pictures showing barely-dressed nurses promoting cannabis were seen throughout the publications, but they have now been replaced by actual doctors. The magazines are concentrating more on real information from real doctors.
The packaging has evolved, as well. Yesteryear’s marijuana packages were “hip” and “wild,” meant to attract a stoner looking to get high. Today, the packaging has changed to be more appealing to virtually every adult, leading to a substantial more amount of credibility given to the industry.
Where the marijuana industry is truly showing significant advances is with edibles. Everyone is familiar with marijuana-laced brownies, but now there is virtually no end to what culinary delights are being made with marijuana and CBD.
All of these changes have occurred in just the past two years. As the industry continues to change and more products are introduced, it will be interesting to watch the evolution and see how much changes in the next two to three years.
