All Hail the 1 Gram Pre Roll

Why does the 1 gram pre roll reign supreme?

 

Like a lot of other heavy cannabis users out there, we have been frequenting legal dispensaries since adult use legalization started in earnest in Colorado and Washington back in 2014.  In that time, there have been massive changes and trends that have come and gone in the cannabis retail space.  One trend that is hard to go unnoticed is how much larger the pre roll section has gotten over that time.  

 

Pre rolls in the USA are now the 3rd largest category in the cannabis space behind Flower and Vaping, according to late 2025 data from Headset.

In Canada’s cannabis market pre rolls are now the top-selling category across the country.

We at Phix believe that pre rolls will eventually be the top selling category in the US cannabis market as well.

 

It just makes sense, pre rolls are convenient.  They are ready to go with just a lighter and a space to enjoy them.

 

Pre rolls are inexpensive.  You can try a bunch of different strains for a fraction of the cost of buying a bunch of eighths and you don’t have to spend your precious time processing the eighths to make the pre rolls you are ultimately going to enjoy.

 

Pre rolls are flexible.  Infused pre rolls allow you to easily consume concentrates along with the flower.  They come in different sizes and weights with different types of infusions.  They provide different “wrap” material, different tips, filters, sizes and shapes.  You can enjoy them by yourself or get one for you and 30 of your closest friends.  Common sizes include 0.35g, sometimes referred to as a “dogwalker” (check out our Phixies if that size interests you), 0.5g, check out the Half Ya Doobs, 0.75g or 1g which is our Yeah Ya Doob line of pre rolls.  They also come in 1.25g, 1.5g and 2g cannons or blunts as they are commonly referred to.

 

In short, there is really nothing a pre roll cannot accomplish when it comes to delivering the goodness us cannabis users crave so much.

 

But this article is about the 1 gram pre roll and how it has dominated the landscape from the early days of legalization.

 

We are heavy cannabis users at Phix and 1 gram is often too much for us when we want a roll and it’s time to go solo. 

A lot of our customers report breaking up the 1 gram pre rolls they buy from us into multiple sessions.

If the 1 gram pre roll is infused or high quality flower, it is even more potent and will probably be broken down into even more sessions if a single user is partaking solo.

 

If it is too big for most users' single session, how and why has the 1g pre roll become the defacto pre roll size in the industry?

 

The answer, I believe, is simpler than you might think and it has to do with the existing rolling paper sizes and cones. 

 

2 of the 3 most popular rolling paper sizes fit about 1 gram of material.  The 98mm special is the first common size that fits 1 gram, the 2nd size is one you are probably more familiar with, it’s the King size or the 109mm.

 

We have found that the 98mm is more appropriate to use for full flower 1 gram pre rolls where the material has a fine, consistent grind and has been sifted through so there are no bigger chunks or stem particles. If the grind is right, and the material has some density to it, the 98mm paper is the one to use.  

 

When we process the material in house, we make sure it is a consistent grind and we even hand process the last 10-20% of material to ensure we are getting as much of the less desirable plant material out as possible.  It can be a little painstaking and tedious, but we find it necessary to maintain the quality we expect to provide to our customers.

 

We use the 109mm size as well.

When the grind is a little larger, not quite as consistent or the material is just lighter.

 

It's probably a 50/50 split between the 98mm cones and the 109mm cones when it comes to our 1 gram pre rolls.

 

Never forget that cannabis is an agricultural product and can vary considerably.  

Even material from the same plant can vary.

 

We believe that’s the long and short of it though.  

The 1 gram pre roll reigns supreme because that was about the amount of material you could fit into the readily available size papers and cones that exist.

 

There are certainly some other reasons that the 1g pre roll has remained the stalwart of the category.

-The automation and standardization of the industry

-The push for cannabis to become a Consumer Packaged Goods business

-The fact that 1 gram pre rolls are a “shareable” size and you can still puff, puff, give if you show up to a party with one.

 

However the 1 gram pre roll gained and maintained its dominance, we at Phix do not see its reign ending anytime soon, but IF it does, we will happily usher in a new era where a different size pre roll reigns supreme. 

 

As long as it stays legal, safe and affordable, we will take it anyway we can get it.