LOS ANGELES, Calif., June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Exhale Wellness, an organic hemp brand, today reported rising consumer demand for ready-to-smoke THCA pre-rolls, with shoppers increasingly choosing pre-rolled joints over loose hemp flower. The company says buyers now want products that are lab-tested, consistent, and ready to use. Exhale adds that the shift is shaping what consumers look for in the best THCA pre-rolls of 2026.

In a recent Exhale Wellness survey of 200 U.S. hemp consumers, 70% said they are buying more ready-to-smoke pre-rolls than they did a year ago. Another 30% reported buying less loose flower over the same period, a sign of the shift toward THCA pre-rolls as the primary format. The company links the change to broader buying habits, in which shoppers want products they can verify and use right away.

Why THCA Pre-Roll Buyers Are Moving Away From Loose Flower?

Buyers are switching to pre-rolled hemp mainly for convenience and consistency. A pre-roll arrives ground, packed, and ready to light, without a grinder, rolling papers, or guesswork about how much flower to put in each joint. Exhale Wellness says that shift is clear in how its customers shop in 2026, and its latest survey puts numbers to it.

Exhale Wellness 2026 THCA Pre-Roll Demand Survey (n=200)

Source: Exhale Wellness 2026 THCA Pre-Roll Demand Survey

The survey shows that convenience and consistency work together. A loose jar asks the buyer to grind, measure, and roll by hand, which takes time and can waste flower. A pre-roll removes those steps, so the buyer goes from package to first puff in seconds. For people who smoke a few times a week, that saved effort adds up.

The pull toward pre-rolls comes down to a few practical points:

Single pre-rolls also lower the cost of trying something new. Instead of committing to a multi-pack of a single strain, a buyer can pick up one indica and one sativa to see which fits their routine. That low-risk sampling approach is part of why the format appeals to first-time and returning buyers alike.

Convenience is not the only driver. Many buyers tell Exhale they trust a sealed, labeled pre-roll more than flower scooped from a jar, especially when a Certificate of Analysis (COA) backs the potency on the label. They weigh that trust more heavily when comparing brands online, where a clear lab report often decides which brand wins the order.

A COA is a third-party lab report that confirms the cannabinoid content on the label and screens the flower for common contaminants. When that report backs the potency printed on the package, buyers know what they are getting before they light up. A jar of loose flowers rarely travels with the same paper trail once it is opened and scooped. Exhale says questions about lab testing now come up earlier in the buying process than they did a few years ago, often before a buyer asks about strain or price.

About the THCA Pre-Roll Demand Survey

The findings come from the Exhale Wellness 2026 THCA Pre-Roll Demand Survey, an online poll of 200 U.S. hemp consumers aged 21 and older, conducted between June 1 and June 7, 2026. Respondents were Exhale Wellness customers. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. The full methodology is available from Exhale Wellness upon request. The company says it plans to repeat the survey in future years to track how buyer preferences in hemp pre-rolls continue to change.

"Pre-rolls have moved from a convenience item to a primary format, and our 2026 survey tells the same story we hear from customers every day," said Sarah Rudwik, spokesperson for Exhale Wellness. "People want something lab-tested and ready to enjoy, without the work or guesswork of loose flower. That is squarely where demand is heading in 2026."

Inside Exhale Wellness's 2026 THCA Pre-Roll Lineup

Exhale Wellness offers six THCA pre-rolls across indica, sativa, and hybrid strains, with labeled potency from 34% to 76% THCA. Every pre-roll uses freshly ground, USA-grown hemp, wrapped in hemp paper with a wood-pulp filter, and contains no tobacco or nicotine.

The four flower-only options share a $49.95 price, so buyers can choose by experience rather than cost. The Han Solo indica holds a 4.92 out of 5 rating across 13 reviews, the highest score in the line, while Sex Panther is the sativa pick at 40% THCA. Two products use an infused format for higher potency: the Baby J's Triple Infused Strawberry Cough, at a labeled 76% THCA, and a single Diamond Infused Gelato pre-roll at $14.00, which gives first-time buyers a lower-cost way to try the infused style.

Strain choice is part of the appeal. An indica pre-roll like Han Solo is a common evening pick, while a sativa option such as Sex Panther suits daytime use. Each product page lists the strain type and labeled THCA potency, so buyers know what to expect before they order. Every batch is third-party tested for potency and pesticides, and Exhale posts the matching COA for each one at exhalewell.com/labs/. Customer ratings across the line run from the mid-4s to 4.92 out of 5.

Hemp Pre-Roll Market Trends Behind the 2026 Demand Shift

Exhale's results line up with a national trend. Pre-rolls have become one of the fastest-growing formats across the wider cannabis and hemp market, driven by the same convenience and consistency that Exhale's buyers describe. The data shows the format pulling ahead on several fronts:

• Pre-rolls are now the top cannabis category by units. A 2026 market report from Custom Cones USA, based on data from cannabis analytics firm Headset, found that pre-rolls passed flower for the first time in 2025. The category generated an estimated $3.6 billion in revenue across more than 383 million units, a 15.9% share of total sales.
• Growth has held for five straight years. Pre-roll unit sales rose 18.6% year over year, while the broader cannabis market grew just 1.5%. The same report notes the category has more than doubled in revenue since 2021. Retail tracking from BDSA adds a second signal: flower and pre-rolls were the only major categories to gain dollar sales year over year, a sign that buyers are concentrating their spending on these two formats.
• Infused pre-rolls are leading the gains. Infused options accounted for 47% of category revenue and posted the fastest growth. Exhale's two infused products, Baby J's Triple Infused and Diamond Infused, sit in that fast-moving segment. Higher-potency, ready-to-smoke products appeal to buyers who want a stronger experience without extra preparation.
• Low prices drive trial. Pre-rolls run from a couple of dollars for a single joint to premium multi-packs, so buyers can experiment without a large outlay. The one-gram single pre-roll remained the top-selling product format in the Custom Cones USA report, a sign that low-cost, single-serve options drive much of the category's growth.
• The format fits buyers’ existing habits. Smoking remains the most common way to use cannabis, so a ready-to-smoke joint fits existing routines with less effort. Millennials, a core group for the category, accounted for nearly 44% of pre-roll revenue in the report, and pre-rolls have already overtaken flower as the top-selling cannabis category in Canada, a market that often signals where buyer habits are headed.
• Hemp THCA is following the same path. As pre-rolls became easier to find and more consistent in quality, buyers who once rolled their own moved to finished joints. The same shift now shows up in hemp-derived THCA, where ready-to-smoke options are taking share from loose flower, and where a published COA gives buyers the same confidence they expect at a licensed store.

How Exhale Wellness Is Responding to the Shift

Exhale says its 2026 lineup is built around the same priorities the survey flagged. Single pre-rolls offer buyers a low-cost way to try a strain before committing to a multi-pack, aligning with the experimentation that drives much of the category. Two infused options, Baby J's Triple Infused and Diamond Infused, position the brand in the fastest-growing segment of the market for buyers seeking higher potency without extra steps.

The company points to its public COA library as the part buyers ask about most. Every batch is third-party tested for potency and pesticides, and the matching lab report sits on the product page before a buyer checks out. Exhale uses organically grown, USA-sourced hemp across the line, with hemp paper, wood-pulp filters, and no tobacco or nicotine, which it cites as quality markers that distinguish a sealed pre-roll from loose flower.

THCA Pre-Rolls Availability and Compliance

Exhale Wellness sells its THCA pre-rolls online and ships to states where smokable hemp is permitted. State rules for smokable hemp continued to change through 2026, and several states revisited their positions during the year. Because rules differ from state to state, Exhale points buyers to its published lab reports and compliance details and recommends confirming what is legal locally before ordering.

The products are made from Farm Bill-compliant hemp containing no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight and are intended for adults 21 and older. Buyers can review every Certificate of Analysis before they purchase, which the company says is the simplest way to confirm a pre-roll matches its label. The company also lists the hemp source and Delta-9 THC content for each product, so buyers can confirm Farm Bill compliance at a glance.

About Exhale Wellness

Exhale Wellness is a hemp wellness brand that makes products from organically grown, USA-sourced hemp. Its lineup includes THCA pre-rolls, Delta-9 THC gummies, and other hemp-derived products, with an emphasis on vegan and non-GMO formulations. Every product is third-party lab-tested for potency and pesticides, with Certificates of Analysis published at exhalewell.com/labs/, and is made from Farm Bill-compliant hemp containing no more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC by dry weight.

Disclaimer: This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Hemp and THCA products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional before use, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.

Media Contact
Company: Exhale Wellness
Website: https://www.exhalewell.com
Email: support@exhalewell.com
Phone: (323) 448-3810
Country: United States