Whether you've been dabbling in the world of CBD for a while now, or only just considering how to best dip your toes in, you're in luck: 2021's CBD product trends make utilizing this superstar ingredient more accessible, more customized, and more enjoyable than ever before. Just ask Meredith Schroeder and Ashley Lewis, the former Goop executives who founded Fleur Marché, a curated online cannabis boutique offering the latest — and arguably chicest — tinctures, topicals, edibles, and more.
Fleur Marché was created out of its co-founders desire to bring CBD to customers in a whole new way: One that was removed from stigma and met skeptical potential users and discerning veterans alike at their levels, fitting seamlessly in with their other lifestyle practices. "In 2018, before the 'green rush' when CBD started showing up everywhere from airports to NYC bodegas to high-end department stores, we had each been born again in terms of our relationship with cannabis, thanks to CBD," Lewis tells TZR. "Despite our respectively held stigmas based on bad pot experiences from our past, CBD was meaningfully helping each of us feel better on a daily basis, but it was hard to convince our friends and family to get on board. There was no easy place to find trustworthy information, high-end products that felt legit, or any kind of standard education about CBD, how and why to use it, and how to distinguish quality products from snake oil. So, we decided to build one."
Being in this position, Schroeder and Lewis are able to get a good sense of what's new and next in the CBD industry, based on the latest technology as well as consumer feedback. And because of that, TZR tapped the latter for some predictions of the product trends you're likely to see a lot more of in the coming months. Learn more about them all ahead.
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CBD Product Trends: Potency & Particle Size
"Tried and true tinctures — the OG CBD product — are still a huge category for us, but we've started to see improvement in terms of CBD potency (higher volumes of CBD per bottle and, thereby, per serving) as well as CBD particle sizes (e.g., nano CBD) that make it more bioavailable, or more effectively absorbed and processed by the body." Lewis explains.
While the nano technology certainly may be trending, the jury is still out on whether or not these claims hold up. For example, Weedmaps recently chatted with experts in including internal medicine specialist Dr. Mary Clifton — who has been working with medical cannabis for over two decades — is skeptical, but notes that her patients have shared positive experiences thus far. But Dr. Itzhak Kurek, co-founder and CEO of Cannformatics, points to a 2017 study which found a 600 percent increase in bioavailability when using nano CBD orally.
If you are considering trying out nano CBD, Lewis says you can find it mostly in modern beverages and edibles, but the technology is even showing up in beauty products, including those by skin care brand KOVO.
CBD Product Trends: Complementary Ingredients
"We're seeing more and more brands (smartly) use CBD as the anchor to a more complex formulation of value-add ingredients," Lewis says. "We foresee CBD evolving more into that space rather than being perceived and sold as a silver bullet all on its own (unlike THC). We've found that these more sophisticated formulations, targeted at supporting specific wellness needs (e.g., sleep, anxiety, stress, pain) are easier for the customer to understand and largely quite effective." For example, Yuyo's PM Formula tincture also includes sweet orange and hops to add to its purported sleep-inducing benefits.
CBD Product Trends: Live Resin Extracts
According to Cannabis Industry Journal, extracting live resin is one of the biggest advancements in the cannabis industry of late. The resource notes that this concentrate is harvested from "flash frozen" cannabis plants, which can result in more potent aromas and flavors. "As this extraction method is perfected and becomes more cost effective, we're excited to see it permeate the market," Lewis shares. One way to try it out for yourself now is through the chef-quality CBD edibles by LA-based brand Rose Delights.
CBD Product Trends: Pre-Rolls
"Toward the end of 2020 we saw a huge wave of CBD pre-rolls or, joints, hit the market," Lewis shares. "And people are loving them."
CBD Product Trends: Beverages
Not drinking at the moment? Lewis says that CBD beverages are a favorite of those adopting a healthier, booze-free lifestyle that still allows them to enjoy a relaxing mocktail hour. "The cannabis beverage category (both CBD and THC) is currently exploding," she explains. "As non-alcoholic and functional, wellness-focused beverages trend more generally, we expect that this category will continue to explode throughout 2021."
CBD Product Trends: Edibles
"Edibles have always been an easy, approachable category in the CBD space," Lewis says. "However, as brands get smarter about dosing, flavoring, and sugar content, the edibles seem to get more creative without sacrificing functional value. [CBD marshmallows are] a huge seller for us because they're fun, delicious, and actually quite effective. We're also seeing brands start to deliver more gourmet, small batch products that feel (and taste!) so luxurious that consumers would be excited about them even if they didn't have CBD."
CBD Product Trends: Patches
"We've consistently seen our customers opt for pre-dosed products that are easy to understand and easy to use," the co-founder explains. "It's why CBD beverages and edibles are gaining such momentum and why we foresee that transdermal patches will be big this year. They're user friendly and have an accessible price point, which we foresee making them a fan fave."
