I decided it would benefit both the community and vendors alike to get some of these questions answered, so I made this survey. I hope you find some interesting takeaways from this. Thank you for taking the time to answer to those of you who participated! For clarity those sampled were from the /r/altcannabinoids subreddit and the /r/altcannabinoids discord, so make sure to keep that in mind while we go through these questions.
Want to take a look at the raw data? Find it here.
Question 1:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
HHC: 38.6%
Delta 9: 30%
Delta 8: 14.3
D9 THCo: 12.9%
HHCo: 1.4%
D8 THCo: 1.4%
Delta 10/6a10a: 1.4%
Observations:
Never thought I'd see it! I am blown away to see HHC rank higher than Delta 9. It's important to remember that I polled the community we are in when looking at this, but still, those in the know like HHC better. I can understand why given the price and calm nature of HHC vs D9. It's pretty darn hard to dislike HHC or have a bad time on it.
Also a bit surprised at the number of people who like D9 THCo vs HHCo. Maybe HHCo is a bridge too far for some people. Too foreign, weird, and far away from the "real stuff".
PS: To whoever answered Delta 10/6a10a - who hurt you, man? 😂
Question 2:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
D9 THCp: 33.9%
HHCp: 28.8%
THCP-O: 13.6%
THC-H: 8.5%
HHCP-O: 5.1%
THC-B: 5.1%
D8 THCp: 3.3%
10-OH-HHC: 1.7%
Observations:
D9 THCp and HHCp being the top of the heap was to be expected given the price-to-performance ratio it has over the rest.
Of the 5 people surveyed who have tried 10-OH-HHC, someone has said it's their favorite noid. Kind of makes me want to try it out. As of right now, it's the only noid I have not tried but I do know that 8-OH-HHC has really grown on me effects-wise lately (best at 20% in blends, I found).
We also see a continuation of people having a severe bias against the hydrogenated acetates with only 5.1% of people surveyed saying HHCP-O was their favorite while 13.6% of people said THCP-O was their favorite. In my opinion, HHCP-O is the far superior noid so I can't help but wonder if there's a bit of fear happening because it's been so heavily changed, because effects wise I'd take HHCP-O any day over THCP-O.
To those of you who answered D8 THCp, shout out! D8 THCp is super overlooked and I even made a video and post about that very topic.
Question 3:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
CBN: 31.4%
CBG: 21.4%
CBD: 21.4%
H4CBD: 15.7%
CBC: 5.7%
CBNo: 1.4%
CBDv: 1.4%
CBDo: 1.4%
Observations:
CBD being in third place really surprises me considering how cheap and normal it is now. A lot of people are sleeping on putting CBD in their blends, thinking it will kill the high.
CBN is undeniably good, but my bet was on CBC for this one. Not only because it's so soothing but because it's also so useful as a thinning agent. Maybe the price or lack of popularity is holding it back from being people's favorite.
Question 3:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
I prefer blends: 71.4%
I prefer raw or only terped cannabinoids: 28.6%
Observations:
What a blowout! We need more affordable bulk blends in this industry. People love blends but most can only get them in carts or in small quantities.
Question 4:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Yes, I made it myself: 55.6%
Yes, but only pre-blended products: 30.6%
No: 13.9%
Observations:
Great to see the DIY option on top. Definitely not the expected outcome, but given the crowd surveyed, I suppose it makes sense.
The 13.9% of people who have never tried a blend likely are a part of the 29% of people who answered raw for the last question - makes me wonder if they tried one if that 29% would get to look more like 20%.
Question 5:
-
-
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
See above
Observations:
Not a ton of observations to be had here, other than I do spy some boof brands in the list.
Question 6:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Delta 9: 93.1%
Delta 8: 90.3%
D9 THCo: 61.1%
D9 THCp: 61.1%
HHCo: 58.3%
D8 THCo: 56.9%
D8 THCp: 51.4%
HHCp: 51.4%
Delta 10/6a10a: 47.2%
THCv: 38.9%
THCa: 36.1%
THCP-O: 33.3%
CBDa: 27.8%
HHCP-O: 23.6%
THC-H: 23.6%
CBGa: 23.6%
CBDv: 22.2%
THC-B: 19.4%
HHC-H: 16.7%
8-OH-HHC: 8.3%
10-OH-HHC: 6.9%
Observations:
D8 THCp has been tried by more people than HHCp, which comes as a big shock to me. D8 THCp was popular for a very small window of time and while it's still out there for purchase I only know of one vendor that carries it. Not talking any bad on D8 THCp, but given the public perception of it being "just weaker D9 THCp" I'm surprised this many people took the plunge.
THC-B is so slept on and I hope to goodness we get some that's actually priced at its value soon. IMO its worth 40-50/g. Rumor has it that Gilded is gonna have some priced right at $45, but that rumor started a long time ago and nothing has happened so I wouldn't expect it soon.
Question 6:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Yes: 75%
No: 25%
Observations:
As much as I hate what it will do to pricing, I have to agree with the masses here. There is 100 boof brands for every good one it seems. Right now we have rampant dishonesty throughout the whole industry. From COAs to cuts to fake noids - your average consumer who trusts anything with packaging is going to get burned.
All that being said, I'm not exactly optimistic that these psycoactive noids will survive the 2023 farm bill in a regulated state. It seems, at least right now, that they are either going to take it away or not. I've not seen a lot of legal talk about regging these noids. Maybe in a 5-10 years if we get fed legalization we can get them legal and regged, but then I feel like we'd end up with companies selling them at insane prices. We are in the wild west of noids right now folks.
Question 7:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
No, I usually do not: 57.7%
Sometimes: 25.4%
Yes, pretty much always: 16.9%
Observations:
About 60/40 on people using at least some water to vape in their routine. I'd suspect that a large hunk of the 60% are cart users.
Question 8:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
0.25G - 0.5G: 30.6%
I do not smoke daily: 23.6%
0.1G - 0.25G: 20.8%
0.5G - 1G: 16.7%
1G - 2G: 6.9%
5G - 10G: 1.4%
Observations:
More people smoke 0.25 - 0.5G a day than people who do no smoke daily in this community hahaha. I thought the most popular choice would be 0.1G - 0.25G, but it makes sense that people who smoke daily would need a little more than that to get the job done.
Also, my word, someone out there is smoking 5G - 10G a day? I kind of would like to hear more about that. Comment on the reddit thread if that was you and tell us how in the hell you do that every day.
Question 9:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
0.1G - 0.25G: 47.9%
I do not smoke daily: 35.2%
0.25G - 0.5G: 7%
0.5G - 1G: 4.2%
1G - 2G: 4.2%
5G - 10G: 1.4%
Observations:
Pretty consistent with the last question, but with a tad less usage across the board.
Question 10:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Gilded Extracts: 76.6%
Highly Concetr8ed: 71.9%
3Chi: 46.9%
Vivimu: 40.6%
Harbor City Hemp: 37.5%
Zero Point Extracts: 34.4%
CannaClear: 34.4%
Reefers Bay: 26.6%
Skyho: 21.9%
Volunate: 18.8%
Delta Alternatives: 18.8%
Spensary: 15.6%
Allghney Extracts: 6.3%
CBD Hemp Direct: 4.7%
Levit8: 3.1%
Mellow Fellow: 3.1%
Cake: 1.6%
Loud House Hemp: 1.6%
Kik: 0%
Observations:
Gilded and HC8 being super trusted was kind of a foregone conclusion. Not a lot of complaints from customers of either brand compared to everyone else.
Seeing 3chi at number 3 certainly was not what I was expecting. Not that 3chi is boof per say, but it is wildly overpriced. Maybe that NASCAR is doing more work than I thought lol.
Thought that Spensary would be higher, but I suppose they have been kind of absent from this whole scene for a hot sec now. They have a few products on their site but nothing new for a long time in terms of raw noids. Last thing they added was H4 quite a while ago.
To the fella who trusts cake: You... you shouldn't...
Question 11:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Gilded Extracts: 46.8%
Highly Concentr8ed: 17.7%
3Chi: 12.9%
Vivimu: 4.8%
CannaClear: 4.8%
Voluntate: 3.2%
Delta Alternatives: 3.2%
Skyho: 1.6%
Reefers Bay: 1.6%
CBD Hemp Direct: 1.6%
Mellow Fellow: 1.6%
Observations:
I knew people loved Gilded but DAMN that's almost half the chart!
The fact that 3chi is on there again at number 3 is crazy to me. I understand trusting them but they are FAR from the best vendor in my opinion.
Highly Concentr8ed really got their shit together when they did that huge price drop a few months back. They have been super competitive with Gilded since then.
Surprised as all hell to see that Vivimu is not higher - not because they are so great or anything but to be at 4.8% is really low, esp for how hard people rode for them for so long.
Question 12:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
Yes, I had a good first experience: 70.8%
I had a so-so first experience: 15.3%
No - Looking back on it with what I know now, it was bad, but I did not know it at the time: 12.5%
No - It was bad and I knew it at the time: 1.4%
Observations:
Seems like most people had a good first time with noids, with only 13.9% of people having any kind of a bad first experience. Lower than I would have guessed with how much boof the gas station carts are but the human body is indeed mighty resilient.
Question 13:
Results (Sorted Highest to Lowest)
See Above
Observations:
It sure aint fully easy to explain the safety of these noids irl. Very annoying when you have to explain that science exists to a functional adult when they start saying "ItS NoT NatUrAL" and shit like that.