The best-selling cannabis strain of 2015 is...

It's not the Oscars of weed, but an analytical report from BDS Analytics on the cannabis sales in Colorado and Washington in 2015.

The best-selling cannabis strain in Colorado and Washington dispensaries in 2015 was therefore the Blue Dream, a hybrid of Blueberry and Haze predominantly sativa.

BDS Analytics, founded in 2014, gathers information on recreational and medical cannabis sales in the states of Washington and Colorado, via voluntary dispensaries, and takes into account nearly 20 million transactions. CEO Roy Bingham attributes Blue Dream's popularity to well-executed marketing.

«We have hundreds of cannabis varieties in our database, and Blue Dream is No. 1 in both Washington and Colorado. There's clearly marketing around certain varieties, and dispensary employees are directing consumers to particular products. I imagine there will soon be less personal opinion and more science around this.»

The cannabis market is becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially in the way cannabis products are sold and presented.

«We're seeing the emergence of marketed products in Colorado today: companies present their products like what you'd see in any supermarket. It started with space food, and is now the case with concentrates, unlike dried flowers, which are weighed in front of the customer».

Weed should not escape this trend, with the emergence of brands named after celebrities, such as Leafs for Snoop Dogg, or Willie's Reserve for Willie Nelson. Consumers attribute to weed the qualities of the person behind its production, with greater trust and brand recognition.

«The consequence is that patients/consumers head to dispensaries with a product in mind, based on the ads. It becomes like a normal market.»

Another astonishing fact: space food's share of total income.

«In terms of growth, 63% of the Colorado market is weed-based, which is a declining percentage. Concentrates are growing faster. For space food, it's 12%. It was expected to be between 10 and 15%, and some thought it was worth 30 to 40% of total revenue.».

The growth of concentrates This trend is set to intensify, amplified by the massive arrival of vaporizers on the market. Nevertheless, the market is subject to frequent change. «It's a very immature market, and always very volatile: new products and brands emerge very quickly, based on new marketing campaigns and new structures. There's going to be a lot of change, but it's hard to predict.

You can consult the full report here.