So you’ve decided to sell hemp flower from your shop. A wise choice indeed. But before you splurge on some stock, how do you know what you are buying is going to sell?
After all, hemp flower consumers are fast becoming very discerning when it comes to what products they purchase. They are lots of different options out there, as well as lots of discussion on the subject online, so don’t think that any old hemp flower will sell well.
As the market grows, it’s also becoming more and more important to not only stock great products, but to also really know what you are selling.
This article will help you source the best hemp flower for your shop as well as get you up to speed with what you need to know about the product in order to sell it.
Are you a shop / dispensary owner looking for the BEST hemp flowers for your shop? If so, contact us and we’ll help you find them, or, subscribe to the CBD Flowers Business newsletter, below:
Why hemp flower?
Cannabis is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. CBD is the fastest growing sector in the industry. And hemp flower is the fastest growing CBD product in terms of popularity.
The Brightfield Group, a Chicago-based cannabis market research firm,estimates the smokable hemp market at $11.25 million in 2018, a 250% increase from 2017. That’s just 2% of the overall CBD market.
“We identified it as one of the fastest-growing segments of the CBD market this year,” a spokesperson from The Brightfield Group told Hemp Industry Daily.
Then consider that 2019 has already seen the product rocket in popularity, largely thanks to media coverage from mainstream counterculture publications Leafly and Rolling Stone.
It is thought that hemp flower will be one of the most popular CBD products because, well, it’s the most natural form of CBD. It’s also incredibly effective as well as being very versatile.
In fact, hemp flower is not only a popular means for consuming CBD, it has become well-loved by traditional cannabis consumers. Many also use it as a tobacco replacement.
Understand the law
When you are buying any cannabis product, it would be wide to know the applicable laws. In this case, it’s the 2018 Farm Bill that you should become familiar with.
This bill removes hemp (cannabis with less than 0.3% THC) from the Controlled Substances Act. While that makes hemp federally legal, however, there are still some states that restrict the possession and sale of smokable hemp flower. You can find more information regarding the laws in specific states in this article.
You should also be aware that the law states that total THC needs to be below 0.3%. This rule is widely flouted as many farms and vendors only count levels of delta-9-THC, disregarding the additional THCa levels – THCa turns into THC upon heating, a process known as decarboxylation.
As is written in the law, total THC represents the post-decarboxylation concentration of THC. Which means that THCa need to be taken into account when determining the legality of a product.
Research
If you are getting on to the game of selling hemp flower, it is vital that you know your stuff. That’s where doing your research comes in.
Cannabis is a very complex plant and smokable hemp flower is just as nuanced as something like wine, for example. Therefore, before being able to source a quality product, you’ll need to know the right questions to ask. Additionally, customers will want to know a lot about the product, and it’s important that you can answer them.
Things you’ll want to devote your research time to are as follows:
- Science and anatomy of hemp flower (cannabinoids, terpenes, trichomes, etc.)
- Growing techniques (organic, indoor/outdoor etc.)
- Strains of hemp
- Farms and suppliers
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Ask for third party lab reports
One of the most important things to consider when sourcing hemp flower for your shop is lab reports. Ideally they’ll be consulted by a third party, as it is not uncommon for farmers to make favorable adjustments to in-house tests results to make sure their product remains compliant with the law.
As mentioned above, lab reports should show that delta-9-THC and THCs added together is under 0.3%. If delta-9-THC is under 0.3% but by adding the THCa content makes it above 0.3%, it’s not technically legal.
Get a sample
If the lab reports check out, before you make a bulk order, request a sample. Some farms or vendors will be willing to send this for free, while others will charge a small amount.
By receiving samples from a variety of suppliers, you can compare the standard between each. It will also give you a good idea of the general quality on offer for future reference.
When you receive the sample, things you’ll want to take not of include…
- Smell
- Looks (is it dense, green, well trimmed?)
- Resin/trichome coverage
- Size of buds
- Smoothness of smoke
- Taste
Negotiate a price and make an order
If the sample looks, smells and tastes good, it’s to negotiate a price and make an order. When it comes to price, ranges for wholesale orders can vary greatly depending on many factors.
The right way to get product reviews: The CBD Testers Program
While “biomass” type material (which probably is not suitable for smoking) can go for very cheap (less than $50 per pound), premium quality flower (properly dried and cured, hand trimmed) can go for as much as $500-800 per pound.
$200-400 is probably around average for good quality trimmed hemp flower with 15%+ CBD content.
Build a relationship
Once you have found a reliable supplier with a good product for a fair price, you’ll want to build a good relationship with them. Good contacts and strong relationships are what businesses are built on, so make sure to prioritize them.
Summary
If you are thinking about stocking hemp flower in your shop, it’s vitally important to go about things the right way. While the demand for hemp flower is only increasing, you won’t have much success if you start selling any old bud.
Not only that, you need to make sure you do your research as the last thing you want is to break the law. Hemp is still cannabis and if it has too much THC, you could be in serious trouble.
Therefore, make sure you understand the plant, get reliable lab results, and don’t be afraid to request samples. Once you find a trusted supplier with good product, build a relationship with them in order for both your businesses to flourish.
Overall, by selling high-quality hemp flower, you’ll be helping people access one of the most effective natural therapeutics on the planet. Good job.
Are you a shop / dispensary owner looking for the BEST hemp flowers for your shop? If so, contact us and we’ll help you find them!
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Pretty good article! However, the 2018 Farm Bill only requires delta-9 thc to be below 0.3%. Some states have tried to enforce a 0.3% total thc rule, but since Federal Law is the supreme law of the land, these state rules have no teeth.