This report from Forbes Magazine, published on 6 August 2026.
For decades, cannabis brands competed on one metric: potency. More THC meant a better product, at least for experienced consumers chasing a stronger high. But in today’s maturing legal market, some of the most successful companies are taking the opposite approach, betting on precision instead of potency to win over adults who don’t regularly consume cannabis.
Low-dose beverages, gummies and other precisely dosed products represent a real opportunity to convert this untapped, cannabis-curious audience.
Low-Dose Is The New Growth Strategy
“Low-dose is the growth engine, full stop,” says Eddie Brennan, President and CEO of ayrloom, New York’s best-selling adult-use cannabis brand, via email.
“The first decade of legal cannabis was about proving the plant could be produced safely and sold responsibly. A lot of that conversation centered on potency because that’s what got attention. The next decade is about volume, and volume comes from consumers who were never going to buy a high-potency product in the first place. Low-dose options help pull new consumers into the category who will graduate into higher potency in the future. Beverage in particular has been a huge catalyst to destigmatization and getting people into the category.”
Vanessa Cuccurullo, founder of Leilala & Watson, believes the opportunity is less about reducing potency and more about making cannabis fit naturally into everyday life.
“Low-dose cannabis products are at the center of our product portfolio because we believe cannabis should be approachable,” Cuccurullo says via email. “Many consumers are looking to incorporate it into their lives intentionally, with the ability to choose and control the experience, whether that’s for social occasions, enhancing an experience, creating a new ritual or simply for the enjoyment of it.”
Eric Rogers, co-founder of Levia, Massachusetts’s first cannabis beverage, sees the same shift playing out across the category.
“We believe low-dose products represent the future of cannabis because they make the category approachable for the vast majority of adults, not just existing cannabis consumers,” Rogers says via email. “For years, the industry focused on potency. We think the next phase of growth will be driven by experience. Most consumers aren’t asking, ‘What’s the strongest product?’ They’re asking, ‘How do I want to feel?’ Low-dose beverages give people the confidence to participate because they offer a predictable, controllable experience in a format they already understand. That’s how cannabis moves from a niche product to an everyday wellness and social option.”
The Shift Is Changing Who Buys Cannabis
The change isn’t just philosophical. It’s reshaping the consumer base.
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Brennan says ayrloom has seen longtime cannabis consumers reach for lower-dose products during the week, while also attracting older adults and consumers who had never previously considered cannabis at all.
“We’re seeing real movement on two fronts,” Brennan says. “First, existing consumers are changing their own habits. People who might have smoked flower for years are now reaching for a 5mg product because they want a predictable, functional experience rather than getting as high as possible. Second, we’re absolutely seeing new consumers come into the category through low-dose specifically, people managing stress, sleep or looking for a lower-proof alternative to a glass of wine at the end of the day, who never would have considered cannabis five years ago.”
Removing The Psychological Barrier To Entry
For many of these consumers, the biggest hurdle isn’t finding a dispensary. It’s overcoming years of assumptions about what a cannabis experience will feel like.
“They’ve done more for accessibility than almost anything else in this industry, because the barrier was never really legal access, it was psychological,” Brennan says. “A lot of people were scared off by a bad experience, or a friend’s bad experience, with a product that hit way harder than they expected. Low-dose removes that fear. It says: you’re in control, you can start low and go slow, and nothing bad is going to happen to you.”
Rogers believes beverages offer another advantage: consumers already understand how they fit into everyday routines.
“They’ve changed the conversation from intoxication to intention,” Rogers says. “Instead of asking consumers to commit to a strong cannabis experience, we’re inviting them to explore cannabis in a way that feels safe, measured and familiar. That shift removes an enormous amount of fear. Accessibility isn’t just about availability, it’s about confidence. Low-dose products give consumers the confidence to try cannabis on their own terms.”
From Dispensaries To The Mainstream
That familiarity is beginning to extend beyond the dispensary counter. Earlier this summer, ayrloom became the first hemp-derived THC beverage brand with an official presence at Governors Ball, where it distributed thousands of low-dose beverages throughout the festival. For Brennan, the activation demonstrated that cannabis beverages can fit naturally into mainstream social occasions.
Cuccurullo believes long-term success will depend on something simpler than potency.
“Ultimately, normalization isn’t about encouraging more consumption,” she says. “It’s about helping adults make informed choices and giving them products that consistently deliver the experience they expect.”
The Bottom Line
The legal cannabis industry spent its first decade proving it could build stronger products. Its second decade may be defined by building products that millions more adults feel comfortable trying for the first time.
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