Brett Harris (Courtesy photo)
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In 2026, cannabis consumers are watching their wallets. That’s not unique to this industry, as housing, groceries, utilities and just about everything else cost more than they did a few years ago.
Discretionary spending has tightened, and cannabis accessories are no exception. But the way consumers are responding offers an important lesson for cannabis retailers.
According to year-to-date internal LuvBuds sales data, many of the most dependable accessory products in 2026 remain the basics: grinders, cones, batteries, inexpensive pipes and other products consumers immediately understand and can purchase without thinking too hard about the price.
At the same time, one of the strongest premium brands in the category continues to sell devices costing well over $100. Together, these two seemingly contradictory trends show where cannabis retail is headed.
What cannabis accessories do dispensary customers buy?
Value matters more than novelty in most accessory categories. However, there are important exceptions.
Flower consumers still need grinders, and a simple glass pipe still gets plenty of mileage. Consumers may appreciate new designs and features, but most are not looking to spend significantly more unless the product gives them a compelling reason to do so.
That is why value-focused commodity products remain so important.
Across our business, standard products such as 50-millimeter grinders, cones, batteries and small glass pieces consistently move. They solve a clear need, fit within accessible price points and do not require a lengthy sales pitch.
But retailers should not confuse value with simply stocking the cheapest products available. Price and margin are two very different questions.
Glass is a good example. Our data shows that glass remains one of the strongest-margin accessory categories for retailers. It also covers an unusually broad price spectrum, from basic hand pipes selling for around $5 to highly elaborate pieces costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
A retailer can give a price-conscious customer an affordable option while still earning an attractive margin.
Other categories do not necessarily work that way. Rolling papers are dependable sellers but generally offer weaker economics. Premium electronics can also carry relatively thin retailer margins despite their higher ticket prices.
Dispensaries need to understand the job each product performs. Some products drive volume. Some complete the customer’s purchase. Some generate margin. The best assortment includes a thoughtful mix of all three.
What premium cannabis accessory is customers’ favorite?
Premium electronics are where the affordability story gets interesting.
Most consumers do not need multiple high-end concentrate devices. These are durable products, and in theory, a customer should purchase one and use it for a long time.
Puffco has managed to disrupt that normal purchasing cycle.
We see demand for new Puffco releases before the products even reach our warehouse. Limited-edition designs and colorways create anticipation. When a particular release sells through, customers often do not simply substitute another premium device sitting nearby.
They want the Puffco.
Puffco fans are fiercely loyal and willing to spend again and again on what might be considered the Hermes Birkin bag of cannabis accessories.
That makes the brand an important exception to the broader value trend. It is not succeeding because consumers suddenly stopped caring about price. It is succeeding because Puffco has created enough brand loyalty, scarcity and community around its products that consumers are willing to make an exception.
Puffco has built that loyalty through consistent product launches, limited editions, its annual Puffcon event and years of cultivating an audience around the brand.
Most brands cannot replicate that by simply changing a color and adding $50 to the price.
What cannabis accessories should a retailer stock?
Retailers do not need to choose between inexpensive commodity products and premium luxury devices.
They need both, but in different proportions and for different reasons.
The core of the accessory assortment should consist of products customers regularly need at prices they are comfortable paying. Those products should be easy to find, consistently replenished and selected based on actual sales performance.
Retailers can then layer in a smaller number of premium products that have demonstrated genuine consumer demand. Treating every new premium accessory as though it automatically deserves shelf space is the mistake.
Retailers have finite shelves, finite inventory dollars and customers with finite disposable income. A $150 device that sits untouched for six months is less valuable than a $10 piece of glass that turns repeatedly.
Our merchandising and inventory programs reinforce the same lesson. The objective is not abundance. It is disciplined availability.
Should cannabis retailers appear more like smoke shops?
As cannabis markets mature, cannabis itself is becoming increasingly commoditized. That puts more pressure on retailers to think beyond flower, vapes, edibles and pre-rolls and pay closer attention to the rest of the basket.
Dispensaries already have the customer. They already know what that customer is buying. They should also be the place where that person finds the grinder, battery, pipe, storage product or premium device needed to consume it.
The $5 pipe and the $100-plus Puffco represent opposite ends of the accessory market, but they belong in the same retail strategy.
The dispensary of the future will increasingly resemble a sophisticated specialty retailer. Or, put more simply: a smoke shop that sells cannabis.
The stores that thrive will not necessarily be the ones with the most accessories. They will be the ones that understand exactly why every product deserves to be on the shelf.
Brett Harris is the founder and CEO of LuvBuds, a national cannabis accessories and retail performance company serving retailers across the country.
