Private label pre-rolls—joints produced by a contract manufacturer but sold under a retailer’s house brand—fit modern shopping habits perfectly: grab-and-go formats, clear dosing, and no grinder or rolling skills required. That convenience is a key reason pre-rolls have been the fastest-growing major category in legal cannabis, outpacing vapes and edging closer to flower in many markets. Recent industry tallies show pre-roll revenue climbing roughly 12% year-over-year from mid-2023 to mid-2024, with more than $4.1B in sales and nearly 400M units sold—real scale that retailers can leverage with store brands.
Under the hood, two forces drive private label pre-roll momentum: consumer preferences and retailer economics. On the consumer side, single-serve and multipack formats remove friction, while infused pre-rolls (flower enhanced with concentrates) deliver consistent potency without extra gear. Headset’s category analysis and subsequent trade reporting show infused SKUs command a large and growing share of pre-roll sales—often north of 40%—because they promise reliable effect with minimal effort. That “easy potency + easy format” combination is tailor-made for new and returning consumers.
On the retailer side, private label pre-rolls offer margin control, price-tier coverage, and faster innovation cycles. Instead of waiting for national brands to fill gaps, buyers can brief a manufacturer on target potency, strain profiles, paper type, or filter tips and bring a house line to market across good/better/best price points. As pre-rolls have become a top “basket add,” store brands let retailers compete on value without sacrificing consistency—particularly in multipacks that anchor weekly routines for cost-conscious shoppers. Industry sources consistently attribute category growth to this convenience-price flywheel, which private label amplifies.
The numbers back up the convenience thesis. Trade analyses highlight pre-rolls as the third-largest category and the fastest-growing in 2024, with infused joints especially strong. Consumer surveys and sell-through data point to preferences for full-gram singles and multipacks, plus features like premium or glass filter tips that elevate the experience without adding complexity—options retailers can specify directly in their private label briefs.
Quality and safety remain paramount—and they’re not at odds with private label. Reputable programs use licensed co-manufacturers who follow GMP-style SOPs, verify potency and contaminant limits through state-accredited labs, and provide batch-level COAs the retailer can surface online or via QR code. Because the retailer’s name is on the pack, store brands have strong incentives to maintain consistent inputs (flower grade, grind size, humidity control) and strict assembly standards (uniform packing, even burn), which translate to fewer duds and better repeat rates. Broader market forecasts from BDSA suggest continued category professionalization as legal sales expand, supporting more disciplined private label operations.
For shoppers, the appeal is straightforward: private label pre-rolls deliver dependable effects, familiar strains, and clear value. Smart retailers position a spectrum—from entry-price singles for spontaneous use, to multipacks for weekly budgets, to premium infused or rosin-infused options for special occasions. And because retailers see real-time sell-through, they can refresh strains, tweak terpene targets, or add seasonal collaborations faster than national brands, keeping assortments interesting while protecting price points. With pre-rolls already a proven “convenience companion,” store brands simply make the choice easier.