The cannabis market in Ontario has become increasingly diverse, giving consumers access to a wide range of flower, pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, beverages, and other cannabis products. With so many choices available, understanding which products attract customer interest can provide useful insight for both consumers and cannabis retailers.

The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) is an important part of Ontario's regulated cannabis market. Looking at historical product sales can also provide retailers with ideas about how popular products can be organized and presented on dispensary menus.

BudSense's OCS Top 10 Selling Cannabis Pre-Roll Products – July 2023 provides an example of this approach. The original resource highlights top-selling cannabis pre-roll products from July 2023 and demonstrates how product information can be presented through different menu formats.

While historical rankings should not be treated as today's sales rankings, they can still offer useful lessons about cannabis product merchandising and menu organization.

What Makes Cannabis Pre-Rolls Popular?

Pre-rolls are a convenient cannabis product format because they are ready to use without requiring consumers to prepare flower themselves.

Within Ontario cannabis stores, shoppers can find pre-rolls in different strains, sizes, brands, and product combinations. Some products may appeal to customers because of their flavor profile, brand recognition, product size, or other characteristics.

There is no single product that can be considered the best for everyone.

Instead, customer preferences can vary based on individual expectations and the products available at a particular retailer.

For dispensaries, this makes clear product presentation especially important. When customers can quickly compare product names, prices, sizes, and other relevant details, they have a better starting point for exploring their options.

Looking at Historical Ontario Cannabis Products

The BudSense article focuses on top selling cannabis pre-rolls recorded in Ontario during July 2023.

The original list provides examples of products that performed strongly during that period. These included products such as Blend 14, Sunny Daze, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Lemon Mintz, Fruitsplosion, Panda Puff, Black Widow, Balanced, and Jean Guy.

Because the data relates specifically to July 2023, retailers should not assume these products remain the highest-selling options today.

However, the historical list is useful for understanding how sales information can be turned into a menu merchandising opportunity.

For example, retailers can examine which product characteristics are displayed and consider how similar information could be organized on modern cannabis dispensary menus.

Why Menu Presentation Matters

Having popular products in stock is only one part of the retail experience.

Customers also need a simple way to discover those products.

A poorly organized menu can make even a large selection difficult to navigate. Product names may be hard to read, prices can become buried in text, and customers may have difficulty comparing different options.

This is where digital cannabis menus can provide additional flexibility.

Instead of presenting every product in one long list, retailers can organize products by category and use visual layouts to make important information easier to identify.

For pre-rolls, this might mean creating a dedicated section where customers can browse the available products without searching through unrelated categories.

Digital Dispensary Menus for Pre-Rolls

Digital dispensary menus can be particularly useful for retailers with frequently changing inventory.

A product may sell out during the day, while another product may arrive in stock. Printed materials can require physical replacement when information changes, whereas digital menus can be updated electronically.

Modern cannabis menu software can also help retailers manage product information more efficiently.

Depending on the platform, menu systems may connect with POS or inventory information. BudSense describes POS integration that can automatically update information such as pricing, inventory, and product availability across its menus.

This can reduce some repetitive manual work while helping retailers keep their displays more consistent.

Organizing Cannabis Pre-Roll Products

Good menu organization begins with logical categories.

A dispensary might separate pre-rolls from flower, concentrates, edibles, beverages, and other product types. Within the pre-roll section, products can then be displayed using consistent information.

Useful details may include:

• Product name

• Brand

• Package size

• Price

• Product type

• THC or CBD information where applicable

• Availability

• Relevant product characteristics

The exact information presented depends on the retailer and its menu system.

The main objective is clarity. Customers should be able to scan a menu and understand their options without having to interpret a confusing layout.

Using Sales Data to Improve Merchandising

Historical sales data can help retailers think about product placement.

If certain products consistently attract attention, retailers may choose to make those products easier to discover. This does not necessarily mean claiming that a product is the “best.” Instead, it can mean using customer demand as one factor when deciding how to organize a menu.

The July 2023 OCS data discussed in the BudSense resource provides an example of how sales information can be translated into a merchandising discussion.

Retailers can also compare product performance over time rather than relying on a single month.

This creates a more complete picture of customer preferences.

The Role of Cannabis Digital Signage

Large screens inside a dispensary can serve as more than product lists.

Cannabis digital signage can combine product information with branding, promotions, seasonal themes, and other visual elements.

For example, a retailer could use one display to showcase pre-roll products while another provides information about flower or edibles.

The design should remain easy to read. Too many promotions, animations, or competing messages can distract customers from the information they actually need.

Effective digital cannabis menu boards should therefore prioritize readability and organization.

Making Menu Updates Easier

Inventory management can become challenging when a dispensary has hundreds of products.

Manually updating every price, product, and availability status can consume staff time.

This is where cannabis menu management and automation can make a difference.

BudSense's menu solutions are designed to help retailers manage digital, print, and web menus, while POS integration can help synchronize important product information.

Automated updates do not remove the need for human oversight. Retail teams should still review their displays regularly and ensure that information is appropriate and accurate.

However, automation can reduce some of the repetitive tasks involved in keeping menus current.

Combining Digital and Print Menus

Digital menus are not necessarily a replacement for every other format.

Some customers may prefer large screens, while others may find smaller printed materials more convenient.

A retailer can use cannabis print menus for specific product categories while using digital screens to provide a broader overview of the store's selection.

Web menus can also help customers browse products before arriving at the dispensary.

A multi-format strategy can therefore give retailers more flexibility while allowing customers to interact with product information in different ways.

For more information about BudSense's menu solutions, visit the BudSense website.

What Retailers Can Learn From the Ontario Cannabis Store Market

The Ontario cannabis market demonstrates why product information and menu design need to work together.

Historical sales data can identify products that attracted customer interest at a particular time, while menu technology can help retailers present their current selection more effectively.

The key is to avoid assuming that historical popularity automatically predicts current demand.

Product availability, customer preferences, pricing, new product launches, and seasonal factors can all influence sales.

Instead, retailers can use sales information as one source of insight and combine it with current inventory and customer behavior.

Conclusion

The Ontario Cannabis Store market provides valuable insight into the changing preferences of cannabis consumers. Historical sales lists, such as the July 2023 pre-roll ranking discussed by BudSense, can help retailers understand how popular products have performed during specific periods.

However, historical rankings should always be treated as historical. Today's customer preferences may be different, and current inventory should be evaluated separately.

For retailers, the bigger lesson is the importance of clear product presentation.

Digital cannabis menus, digital dispensary menus, cannabis menu software, POS integration, and digital signage can help retailers organize their selections and make product information easier to navigate.

BudSense provides menu solutions that can support digital, print, and web-based cannabis menus. By combining accurate information with thoughtful merchandising, dispensaries can create a menu experience that works for both customers and staff.

Ultimately, a successful cannabis menu is not simply a list of products. It is a practical retail tool that helps customers discover what's available while making product information easier for retailers to manage

FAQs 

1. What is the Ontario Cannabis Store?

The Ontario Cannabis Store is a major part of Ontario's regulated cannabis retail system. OCS is also associated with cannabis product distribution and the regulated cannabis market in Ontario.

2. What are top-selling cannabis pre-rolls?

Top-selling cannabis pre-rolls are products that recorded strong sales during a particular period. Rankings can change over time as new products enter the market and consumer preferences shift.

3. Are the July 2023 pre-roll rankings still current?

Not necessarily. The BudSense resource specifically discusses July 2023 sales, so those rankings should be treated as historical information rather than current 2026 rankings.

4. How can digital cannabis menus help display pre-rolls?

Digital cannabis menus can organize pre-rolls into dedicated categories and display information such as product names, prices, sizes, and other relevant details. Depending on the system, menus can also connect with inventory and POS information.

5. Why is cannabis menu software useful for dispensaries?

Cannabis menu software can help retailers organize products, manage menu content, and automate certain updates. POS integration may also help synchronize information such as pricing, inventory, and availability.