Weighing the ROI of Pre-Roll Infusion Technology for Cannabis Brands

The infused pre-roll market is heating up. Brands that don’t hop on this trend are missing out on serious profits.

Infused pre-rolls have quickly become the best-selling product of the entire pre-roll category. Holding a 44.4% market share of the total pre-roll category as of early 2024, they’re outselling traditional single strain products for the first time in history.

The issue? Fulfilling orders via manual methods is time-consuming, frustratingly inconsistent, and costs your cannabis brand more money.

For cannabis brands hoping to compete with these premium products… it’s time to ask:

Are pre-roll infusion machines really worth the investment?

Let’s dive in.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Infused Pre-Rolls Are Dominating Sales
• What Does a Pre-Roll Infusion Machine Do?
• Pros and Cons of Pre-Roll Infusion Machines
• Factors for Weighing ROI on Pre-Roll Infusion Machines

Why Infused Pre-Rolls Are Dominating Sales

Look at the numbers.

Between June 2023 and June 2024 pre-roll sales grew 12% year over year, making it the fastest-growing category in cannabis. Over four billion dollars of pre-roll sales were recorded in that time, with over 394 million units sold.

Infused pre-rolls make up the majority of those sales.

Why? Consumers want premium products. They’re seeking out potency, flavour, and convenience all bundled into one easy-to-use product. By infusing cannabis flower with concentrates like live resin, distillate, and rosin… pre-roll brands have provided just that.

Need more proof?

Industry insiders are predicting infused pre-rolls to reach 50% market share by the end of 2025. Cannabis brands that aren’t investing in the equipment to produce their own high-quality infused products at scale are going to fall behind. Enter: pre-roll infusion machines.

Is it really any surprise more cannabis brands are looking to invest in a pre-roll infusion machine to automate their production process?

Yep. The opportunity here is pretty cut and dry.

What Does a Pre-Roll Infusion Machine Do?

Pre-roll infusion machines automate the process of infusing cannabis concentrates into pre-rolled joints.

Think of it like this: Instead of manually adding dab or oil to joints by hand… the infusion machine applies the cannabinoids with unmatched precision and speed.

Here’s the basic process:

1. Place pre-rolled joints into the machine.
2. Heat up concentrate in a reservoir to optimal viscosity.
3. Machine injects/infuses each pre-roll with pre-measured doses of concentrate.
4. Finished product emerges uniform every time.

Most machines on the market can work with any kind of concentrate from live rosin, distillate, sauce… you name it. Manufacturers also have different machine sizes to accommodate small half-gram cones all the way up to full-size blunts.

The beauty of an infusion machine? Uniformity. Every single pre-roll is infused with the same amount of cannabis concentrate in the exact same spot every time. Something that can’t be achieved hooking up tents and buckets at any sort of volume.

Pros and Cons of Pre-Roll Infusion Machines

Okay. Before buying that pre-roll infusion machine — let’s chat about some pros and cons.

Here’s the full rundown on what cannabis brands can expect from adding automation to their production line:

Pros

• Production Speed: The biggest perk to automation is speed. Cannabis brands can expect to produce thousands of infused pre-rolls per hour compared to the handful that most manual methods can handle. Some systems even boast 2,000+ finished products per hour with just one employee at the helm.
• Consistent Quality: Every single pre-roll comes out dipped/infused with the exact same amount of cannabis concentrate. There’s no guessing or inconsistencies like you get with human error. Consistent product = happy customers and fewer compliance issues.
• Save On Labor: Since one employee can typically run an entire pre-roll infusion production line… brands will see labor costs decrease over time. Cannabis brands won’t need to hire as many staff to produce the same quantity of product.
• Easy To Scale: When sales go up… the machine can keep up. There’s no need to hire more staff or pay for additional square footage to increase production capabilities.
• Reduce Waste: Applying concentrate by hand is messy. Product gets lost during the dabbing and mixing process. Machines apply the same exact amount to each pre-roll with little to no waste.

Cons

• Cost: Cannabis brands should be ready to make a sizable investment when researching pre-roll infusion machines. Depending on the system, that price tag could be anywhere from $10,000 to $$$$$.
• Learning Curve: Staff will need training on how to run machines correctly. It can take time to learn exactly how much each setting needs to be adjusted for different concentrates.
• Maintenance: Like any other large piece of production equipment… an infusion machine will require regular cleaning. Sticky residue from concentrates can cause issues if cannabis brands don’t keep on top of maintenance.
• Flexibility: For small production batches or limited runs… some cannabis brands may find manual methods are still more practical.

How To Weigh the ROI for Your Brand

This is the question worth answering. And like anything in business… it depends.

Where does your brand sit currently? Here’s what that means.

The return on investment when purchasing a pre-roll infusion machine comes down to three factors: labor, volume, and waste. For brands already infusing pre-rolls by hand the solution is pretty obvious (and the ROI can be calculated rather quickly).

Ask these questions:

1. Labor costs to run your production line are through the roof. Manual infusion is extremely labour intensive. Not only does your cannabis brand need skilled employees to work with sticky concentrates… but you need multiple employees working in order to meet that consistency chatted about above. Automating this process can significantly reduce your needs. Some brands report cutting their personnel down from an entire staff to one single operator.
2. You sell thousands of infused pre-rolls per month. Volume is everything. The more infused pre-rolls your cannabis brand produces each month… the quicker that machine will pay for itself. Most machines report brands see a return on their investment in a few months up to one year.
3. Your team is losing concentrates during dabbing. Waste is waste. Cannabis concentrates aren’t cheap. When staff is manually applying dabs to pre-rolls there is always going to be spillage. A machine dosing cannabinoids eliminates waste on every single pre-roll it produces. Think about how much money your cannabis brand could save over the course of thousands of units…

What about premium pricing? Cannabis brands selling infused pre-rolls can charge much higher prices than traditional joints. Access to that premium market segment is another huge reason brands decide to automate their production line.

Plain and simple: if your cannabis brand isn’t planning on staying relevant in the pre-roll game… automation might not be a priority. However, for every brand looking to grow their infused pre-roll business… robots aren’t going to replace jobs, they’ll create them.

Wrap-Up

The infused pre-roll industry isn’t slowing down any time soon. With consumer demand at an all-time high for premium, potent, and convenient cannabis products… cannabis brands are looking to automate their process by investing in pre-roll infusion machines.

Let’s review:

• Cannabis consumers have spoken. Infused pre-rolls are here to stay.
• Manual methods of production cannot keep pace with consumer demand.
• Automated pre-roll infusion machines provide speed, consistency, and cost-effective solutions for cannabis brands.
• ROI will vary on current production volume and growth projections.

Look at your brand honestly. Do you have the staff to meet consumer demand for infused pre-rolls? If your cannabis brand plans on scaling its pre-roll offerings… an infusion machine could be the best decision your business makes this year.