710: Where Should You Concentrate Your Cannabis Marketing and PR?

Concentrates are one of the most interesting categories in cannabis. Extract products run the gamut from some of the oldest consumption formats on earth (like hash) to some of the newest technologies in the game (vapor-static extraction). True to the name, concentrates cut right to the heart of the matter, distilling the plant’s terpenes and cannabinoids down to their more intense, accessible forms. 

Sure, there are some barriers to entry with concentrates—from operating expenses and equipment to mastering techniques. But as cannabis legalization becomes more widespread and consumers more educated about the array of products available to them, things are changing, adding to the history and vocabulary that make hash culture so rich. 

Hash is no longer just for heads—and neither is budder, rosin, crumble, distillate, live resin, wax, sauce, shatter, diamonds, honeycomb, sugar, bubble hash, CO2 or Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), to just scratch the surface.

Indeed, 710 has become the third-biggest retail holiday in the cannabis industry, behind its better-known big brother 4/20 and Green Wednesday—the day before Thanksgiving when everyone panics about a marathon of both eating and navigating conversations with their relatives. 

The exact origins of 710 (that’s OIL spelled upside down and backward) are rather murky. Some say it’s a reference to the Grateful Dead’s Ashbury Street address, others link it to more contemporary artists like Salt Lake City rap duo Task & Linus. Whatever the impetus, every July 10 comes with brighter spotlights on concentrates and a reasonable excuse to do a dab, whether it’s first thing in the morning, a lunch launch, or right around dinner time.

So how can brands make the most of 710? Here are a few thoughts on celebrating one of the headiest days in cannabis:

1. Lean into consumer education. Bloom CEO and Co-Founder Vitaly Mekk was right when he wrote that cannabis consumers need help to shop smart. Both B2B consumer education and B2C consumer education are hugely important in newer industries like regulated cannabis, and especially in emerging markets. 

States where cannabis has been legal for longer, like Colorado, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, have some of the highest sales of cannabis concentrates in the country—in part because consumers have had more time to discover the category. Even smaller, newer markets, however, may have the right conditions in place for shoppers to discover vape carts, rigs and concentrates in their many forms. 

Iowa, for example, stipulates that medical cannabis patients cannot purchase flower. Instead, consumers are nudged away from traditional inhalables and encouraged to purchase concentrate-based products, including edibles and tinctures. 

Regardless of how or when consumers discover concentrates, there’s a learning curve to all the jargon, dosages, consumption methods, equipment and other nuances. That learning curve is one of the biggest opportunities for brands to earn consumers’ trust in their expertise and authority. Cannabis producers and retailers alike need only unlock the door to cannabis concentrates for consumers to walk through and find their own comfortable corner, whether they’re exploring 510 thread carts or investing in a cannabis accessory like the Puffco Peak.

2. Practice active listening. Consumer education isn’t the only learning curve in the cannabis concentrates category. Producers and retailers have a lot to learn about consumer desires and what they’re really after. Practice active listening when customers ask for product recommendations or speak to what they’re hoping cannabis might solve for them. 

Medical cannabis patients, for example, might appreciate higher doses of THC per hit and richer terpene concentrations when they’re combating chronic pain or seeking an alternative to opioids. Apartment dwellers or parents could be looking for discretion without all the smoke and combustion. Couchsurfers, dirtbags and frequent travelers might appreciate the portability. The list goes on and on—if you’re listening.‍

3. Put concentrates in context. One of the biggest barriers to consumer education around concentrates is piquing the interest of mainstream journalists. Cannabis trade publications and many alt-weeklies get the hype and already understand the difference between, say, solventless extraction and what you can accomplish with a little butane.

Mainstream publications need context from publicists to understand why their audience would be interested in a category that still claims less than 20% market share. Pieces like Puffco Founder Roger Volodarsky’s informative hash op-ed in Salon are a great example of how publicists, executives and journalists can work together to make concentrates make sense for mainstream audiences. 

A good publicist will not only have a variety of ideas on how best to convey why concentrates are so enduring and innovative, they will also know what different journalists and editors are looking for when it comes to coverage. 

Maybe it’s a technology angle for a reporter who typically covers Apple and Tesla’s offerings. Maybe it’s a labor angle exploring how extraction processes can be made safer for workers. Or maybe it’s folding a concentrates product into a general shopping guide ahead of other retail holidays like Father’s Day or best-of product roundups—O.pen’s Sesh accessory was declared the Best Way to Share a Vape Cartridge by Denver Westword in 2024, for example.

‍4. Celebrate with smart collaborations. Strategic partnerships between like-minded brands are a great bridge to build between a niche category like concentrates and a total addressable market. 

For instance,  Housing Works Cannabis Co’s partnership with SaltDrop, a beloved LGBTQ+ owned fitness studio in New York City, empowers customers with consumption-friendly workout classes. And O.pen teamed up with one of Colorado’s favorite fast-casual chains, Illegal Pete’s, to offer a special deal for National Queso Day. 

The only thing a concentrates purveyor needs is to create an opportunity to organically showcase exactly where and how concentrates fit into consumers’ busy lifestyles. 

‍Is your brand ready for 710? Reach out to Grasslands today to craft a tailored marketing plan for 7/10 and beyond that elevates your brand and concentrates products above the competition. We’re always ready to talk through your brand’s unique needs and pain points to find custom solutions. And if you aren’t ready to start that conversation yet, you can learn more about how we transform brands like yours with our proven process.