Serious question: Where do you all think the industry is headed by 2035?
Will we be in some hyper-corporate dystopia where Pfizer owns 80% of the flower market and every pre-roll comes with a QR code, face scan, and personalized cannabinoid profile? Or will it swing back the other way — small craft brands, boutique grows, and local-first regs finally getting some traction?
Here’s what I think might happen by 2035 (could be way off, but whatever):
- Federal legalization will happen, but only after Big Pharma and Big Ag have built the infrastructure to dominate.
- Interstate commerce will open, and a lot of smaller operations in high-cost states will get crushed unless they specialize hard.
- Synthetic cannabinoids + functional blends will be the new "energy drinks of weed" — think weed + mushrooms, weed + nootropics, etc.
- AI-grown strains will be a thing, with full terpene/Cannabinoid profiles tailored to mood or condition.
- The "craft beer" wave will hit weed — niche brands with strong aesthetics and community will survive, but only if they avoid the trap of being just another hype bag.
- Retail will consolidate. 90% of dispensaries will either be chains or licensed under larger parent groups.
- Social equity will either be a dead buzzword or finally have teeth, depending on how the next few elections go.
