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Welcome Note

Welcome Back Gardeners to the 112th edition of Herbal Profiles!

Happy Friday & Halloween yall!

What a crazy month it has been, I normally don’t put too much here in my welcome notes, but my friend Kim Gamez tagged me on a post on Linkedin sharing her story with Hemp & well I felt compelled to share my own story.

I know I don’t share a ton of personal information here or really anywhere online but here goes.

In September 2023, I made a simple choice that changed everything. I stopped drinking alcohol. I never had, nor do I now, have any problems with alcohol. But I had been drinking THC drinks for a couple of months at that point, realize I personally hadn’t had a drink in like 2 months and I didn’t miss alcohol at all. So I decided to stop drinking altogether.

Around that time I also had launched this newsletter with 1 subscriber (myself) and now there are over 3,500 of you here. I launched a podcast with my friend David (who I met through this newsletter and posting on Linkedin). Beyond David, I have met so many talented, inspiring, and frankly amazing folks in this space. People who I frankly look up to. I have lost weight. I have lost body fat. I have had the opportunity to be part of affiliate marketing and that has extended beyond the hemp beverage industry to the point my wife and I essentially have a 3rd income.

The hemp community is so much more than drinks, edibles, or a plant. For me it's all about connection, wellness, and possibility.

And right now, that community is under attack.

In Kim’s post she said "I can't wait to tell my grandchildren one day that grandma fought to keep this category alive." She's rallying our industry with #hemphelps and #stoptheban because Congress is considering language that could destroy everything you amazing entrepreneurs built overnight.

This is FUCKING insane to me. Hemp, marijuana, cannabis, this entire plant family should be federally legal with common sense regulations.

Period.

The fact that something that's helped me lose weight, build businesses, and find an incredible community could be criminalized is beyond comprehension.

But until we get full federal legalization, we cannot let this industry die.

That's why I'm urging everyone reading this to visit hempsupporter.com and take action NOW. The U.S. Hemp Roundtable is fighting to protect hemp products and they need our voices.

This newsletter exists because hemp gave me an outlet.

I owe so much to this amazing plant and the incredible people who've built this industry. Now it's time to fight for it.

I will get off my soapbox now.

Let’s get into it.

-Lars

The subreddit I moderate with Chris Fontes is over 1,500 subscribers! And my other subreddit for the broader CPG industry is also growing, hitting almost 250 subscribers. I would love to have you join us on either or both subreddits!

The Free Spirits Podcast with David Gonzalez and myself just dropped episode 16 of season 2 with Kevin Provost, CEO, MoreBetter Ltd.

If you could take the time to drop a review of the podcast or even just share it with a friend or two, it really does help us grow and continue to bring you this show.

You can find us on Youtube, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

Any comments or questions? Leave comment on this post or shoot me an email. Would love to hear from you!

News Roundup

No Roundup this week, instead take action to #stoptheban and send a letter to congress.

📰 Got news? Submit it here! 📰

Any other questions or inquiries you can respond to this email or DM me on Twitter 

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The ‘Leveling Up’ Myth

"The amount of time it takes to go from 2.5 milligrams to 10 milligrams and then up to the 100-milligram drink is lightning fast,"

I read that quote this week on BevNet from Keef’s Blake Patterson. I have a ton of respect for Blake and Keef, I am also very excited about this new product they are rolling out. But I do take exception with this quote, because it’s simply not true. In my lived experience, the experience of the multiple folks I have introduced to the category, and the folks I speak with all the time. I also have no issues with higher dose products, we, as an industry, need them.

However, I feel it conveys the wrong message to consumers and makes it seem like we all eventually get to a point where we are consuming 100mg beverages. I drink anywhere between 4-12 of these drinks every single week and have been for the better part 2.5 years. I take edibles every single night. I take edibles & cannabinoids before a hefty amount of my workouts. The point being I consume a lot of THC. I have barely graduated beyond consuming 15mg in a single evening (4-6 hours). A single 20mg drink will put me on my ass.

And again, I love Keef and I respect what they and Blake are building. I just found that quote to be an odd one.

The cannabis industry has long operated under the assumption that consumers follow a predictable path. Start low, build tolerance, graduate to higher doses. This "graduation theory" has shaped everything from product development to retail merchandising, with brands racing to offer increasingly potent options.

The Data Says Otherwise

According to Brightfield Group's latest consumer research, 49% of hemp beverage drinkers prefer products in the 5-9mg range, not as a stepping stone to higher doses, but as their preferred destination. Another 23% actually prefer the 2-4mg range, a segment that's been growing, not shrinking, over time.

The most comprehensive look at real-world cannabis beverage consumption comes from MoreBetter's recent longitudinal study of over 3,000 consumers. The findings challenge nearly every assumption about dosage progression.

"50% of the 3,000 people who enrolled had not used cannabis at all in the weeks leading up to the study," explains Kevin Provost, CEO of MoreBetter. "Another 25% reported only using cannabis one to three times in the last two weeks.

This group found dosages that worked for their intended effects and stuck with them.

The Real Market Segments

Rather than a linear progression from low to high doses, the market appears to be segmenting into distinct consumer types with different needs:

• The Maintainers represent the largest group—consumers who find their optimal dose (typically 5-10mg) and stick with it. They're not building tolerance; they're building habits around consistent, predictable experiences.

• The Micro-Dosers are a growing segment preferring 3mg or less. These consumers prioritize function over feeling, using cannabis as a daily wellness tool rather than an intoxicating experience.

• The Maximizers want 10mg and above, but they're actually vocal whose feedback has disproportionately influenced industry assumptions.

Peter Barsoom, founder of 1906, has built his entire business around serving these underserved segments. "We designed 1906 for people like us," he explains. "Internally, we like to joke that 1906 is cannabis for control freaks. People who want to stay in control, want to know how it's going to make you feel, when it's going to kick in, and how long it's going to last."

Why Brands Get This Wrong

Dispensary Bias: High-tolerance customers are often the most vocal and frequent visitors. Budtenders hear complaints about "weak" products more than praise for perfectly dosed ones.

Retail Pressure: It's easier to sell "stronger" than "better." Milligrams are quantifiable; experience quality is subjective.

Misreading Data: Brands often conflate vocal feedback from heavy users with broader market trends, missing the silent majority who are satisfied with lower doses.

The Functional Revolution

The shift from "getting high" to "feeling right" is fundamentally changing the dosing conversation. When THC is positioned as one component in a broader functional stack, paired with adaptogens, nootropics, or other active ingredients—the goal becomes optimization rather than maximization.

This functional approach naturally favors lower, more precise dosing. A 5mg THC drink with L-theanine for focus delivers a completely different experience than a 5mg drink with CBN for sleep, same dose, different outcomes.

Paul Weaver, head of cannabis at Boston Beer Company, has observed this trend firsthand in the Canadian market. "The natural consumer base for our product line is a 25 to 45-year-old female that is mindful of their consumption," he explains. These consumers aren't looking to get as high as possible, they're looking for products that fit seamlessly into their lifestyle.

What This Means for Brands

Listen, before I get accused of ‘bashing’ high dose products, I am not. I think there’s an obvious market for it and I 100% believe these products need to be on the market. As some folks do ‘level up’ and some folks also naturally just have higher tolerances. I just don’t think this is a majority of folks and I don’t think that graduation is something that happens quickly.

Here’s how I see this effecting brands and marketing.

• Product Development: Instead of or in addition to creating dose ladders, brands should focus on perfecting specific experiences at optimal doses. Multiple 5mg products with different functional benefits may be more valuable than a 5mg, 10mg, 20mg progression of the same formula.

• Marketing Messaging: Emphasize consistency, predictability, and functional benefits over raw potency. Consumers want to know what they'll feel, not just how much THC they're getting.

• Retail Strategy: Train retail partners to ask about intended use and experience goals rather than tolerance levels. The question shouldn't be "How much can you handle?" but "What are you trying to achieve?"

The Maturation Opportunity

As the cannabis beverage category matures, consumer behavior is likely to mirror other adult beverage categories. Most wine drinkers don't progressively seek higher alcohol content, they develop preferences for specific styles and experiences. Most beer drinkers don't graduate from light beer to barleywine, they choose products based on occasion.

This maturation process naturally favors brands that perfect specific experiences rather than those that simply offer more milligrams.

The implications extend to industry-wide trends. On-premise consumption, requires sessionable products that allow for social consumption without overwhelming effects. Mainstream adoption depends on products that professionals can incorporate into their routines without disruption.

That education needs to start with correcting fundamental misunderstandings about how consumers actually use these products.

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