Hall of Flowers: A Magical Year in Santa Rosa
Hall of Flowers’ Santa Rosa event has become a premier industry event for cannabis companies and brands. Every year, the Sonoma County Fairgrounds is lined with innovative products and technology. Hall of Flowers fosters an organic atmosphere for the industry to gather and interact with each other and the community.
However, this one was different. There was something magical in the air at the Hall of Flowers event this year. We couldn’t quite put our finger on it, so we asked the Bear Humboldt and Proper Wellness teams to share some of their stories.
2022 HoF: What Made it Magical?
The industry was truly buzzing after the October 2022 event in Santa Rosa. In the midst of a rough year in the California cannabis market, it feels like there is still a lot of momentum and innovation happening every day.
One note from our discussions with the Bear and Proper teams was that this year was very different from years past. Where previous HoF events were flooded with each of the big-name brands pulling off massive marketing stunts, this event was considerably smaller. It allowed the community atmosphere to have a substantial impact. Bear Humboldt’s Co-Founder Taylor Lefevre noted that the presence of the authentic players and legacy farms in the room stood tall.
Furthermore, Dee Sidhu, VP Sales and Marketing at Bear Humboldt felt that the event largely featured Humboldt brands and companies. This energy bubbled up with the collective mindset that ‘we’re in this together,’ allowing brands to showcase the quality of products from Humboldt County and the Emerald Triangle.
Logan Carter on the Proper Wellness team shared how collaborative conversations were happening all around the event space. Specifically, talking about product innovations that were only pipe dreams a few years ago. For example, some of the solventless and rosin products that are starting to enter the market here in 2022.
One motto that Justin Gaffney, Co-Founder at Bear Humboldt mentioned was that everyone is simply trying to survive in the California markets at the moment. In the midst of all the turmoil going on in the industry, this event shows us that ethics are still truly at the forefront. And that if we all stay on course that is what will set apart Humboldt buds from the rest.
Top HoF Takeaways
A few things stood out from all the conversations about the state of play in the cannabis markets in California. Here are a few key takeaways offering insights into today’s consumer and marketplace.
1. Rosin has finally arrived.
It was only a few years ago when no one even knew that rosin existed. Most consumers didn’t realize it was different from resin or other forms of concentrates and vape pens.
But now, customers at the retail level are coming in and asking for rosin products by name. Customers are starting to understand the nuances of concentrates and fulfill that demand for a premium offering in the space. Where wine sommeliers and liquor snobs enjoy bottles in the hundreds of dollars, we now have consumers purchasing rosin for an upgraded experience.
We also noticed solventless products are creeping up everywhere, from solventless and strain-specific edibles to infused solventless pre-rolls. The industry seems to be moving away from distillate as a whole, with increased emphasis on the quality of oil being live resin or rosin.
2. Consumers are leaning more into education.
Dovetailing from the first takeaway, we’re finding that consumers today are way more educated and making much more informed purchasing decisions than a few years ago.
This is excellent news for the industry overall. It shows we have all been doing our job at helping the consumer learn about the plant and how to achieve the optimal or desired experience and effects.
URSA vs WOX
We also learned from the Bear Humboldt team that both URSA and WOX are quality products from the same team and company. URSA is widely known in the industry for its top-quality concentrates and vape pens. URSA has recently introduced premier live rosin cartridges into the California markets. We also know that WOX is using the same live resin for their products and producing at an affordable price.
A Final Word
All in all, this year’s Hall of Flowers showed us that the industry is evolving. Cannabis consumers are no longer only interested in getting the most bang for their buck, or the trendiest new brand names. Instead, they thoughtfully purchase cannabis. Many have taken a new interest in how the brands grow, process, and package their products. We trust that this new wave of consumers will help us spread the word about the value of Humboldt weed and the integrity in which it was produced.
And mostly, a big thanks to all the attendees, brands, and event staff that put on such an incredible event this year. We are already looking forward to the next one.
