For decades, flower was the undisputed king of cannabis. It defined the market, anchored dispensary menus and set the tone for consumer demand. But in 2025, the industry experienced a historic turning point.
According to the 2026 State of the Pre-Roll Market Report, pre-rolls overtook flower in unit sales for the first time, making them the top-selling cannabis product on the market by volume. Pre-roll revenue rose 9.8% year-over-year to nearly $3.6 billion, while unit sales surged 18.6% to 383.2 million units sold, the strongest performance of any major cannabis category.
That shift signals more than a change in rankings, it reflects changing consumer preferences, maturing retail behavior and a growing appetite for convenient, ready-to-use products. And within the pre-roll category itself, one segment is leading the charge: infused pre-rolls.
The report found infused pre-rolls generated $1.68 billion in revenue during 2025, accounting for roughly 47% of all pre-roll sales dollars, making infused products the single most valuable segment in the category. Even more notable, infused pre-roll unit sales rose 27.8% year-over-year, one of the fastest growth rates anywhere in cannabis.
This means consumers are not simply buying more pre-rolls overall, they are increasingly choosing higher-value enhanced versions of them. That trend has major implications for brands and retailers trying to understand where the market is heading next.
An infused pre-roll combines cannabis flower with concentrates such as oil, live resin, distillate, hash, kief or rosin to create a stronger and often more flavorful product. Depending on the format, infusion may happen inside the pre-roll by blending concentrate with glower, through oil injection or by coating the exterior in oil and rolling it in kief.
These products are typically marketed as premium experiences with higher potency, stronger flavors and elevated effects.
In simple terms, infused pre-rolls allow brands to turn a familiar format into a more differentiated product.
Why Consumers Are Choosing Infused Products
The growth of infused pre-rolls mirrors a broader trend across consumer categories, that shoppers often migrate toward premiumized products once a market matures. Early cannabis consumers may have prioritized access, but today’s consumers increasingly prioritize experience. Infused pre-rolls appeal for several reasons:
Higher Potency: Consumers seeking stronger effects can often achieve them in a smaller amount of product.
Better Flavor Profiles: Live resin, hash, and terpene-rich concentrates can create more aromatic experiences.
Perceived Value: While infused products cost more, many consumers view them as worth the upgrade.
Brand Identity: Premium infused SKUs often carry stronger branding and shelf presence.
These factors have helped transform infused pre-rolls from a niche novelty into a mainstream revenue driver.
One reason infused pre-rolls lead in revenue is pricing. The report found infused pre-rolls averaged $11.64 per item in 2025, well above many traditional pre-roll formats. When equalized on a one-gram basis, infused products were the most expensive segment at $7.50 per gram.
That premium pricing helps explain how infused products accounted for 47% of category revenue despite not leading in total units sold. In other words, brands are selling fewer infused units than some standard formats but earning more money from each transaction. For operators facing margin pressure elsewhere in cannabis, that is a critical dynamic.
See also: Buying Cannabis Made Simple
Traditional Pre-Rolls Still Matter
Infused products may dominate dollars, but they do not own the entire category. The market report found Hybrid – Single Strain pre-rolls still led total volume with 175.6 million units sold, compared to 144.6 million units for infused products.
That means the category is not becoming one-dimensional, but instead is splitting into multiple lanes:
- Value and everyday shoppers buying traditional formats
- Premium shoppers trading up to infused
- Multi-pack shoppers prioritizing convenience
- Occasion-based consumers mixing between tiers
This is a sign of a healthier, more mature market.
The business side of the report shows manufacturers recognize the opportunity. Among surveyed operators, 65.4% already sell infused pre-rolls, 11.8% plan to launch one and 61.2% of infused products are sold as multi-packs, meaning over three-quarters of respondents either already compete in infused products or are preparing to. And as more brands enter the segment, competition will likely shift toward quality, consistency and trust rather than simply adding concentrate.
What Comes Next for Infused Pre-Rolls
The report projects the infused segment could grow roughly 15% in 2026, outpacing the broader pre-roll category once again. If that happens, infused products may become to cannabis what craft cocktails became to alcohol or specialty espresso became to coffee: a premium lane consumers increasingly expect.
The larger message is clear, pre-rolls overtook flower because they matched modern consumer behavior: convenience, portability and ease of use. Infused pre-rolls are winning within that category because they add something consumers increasingly seek in an upgraded experience.
Flower may have built the industry, but in today’s cannabis market, infused pre-rolls are helping define it.
