Low-priced cannabis products will be key to converting consumers from the illicit market to the legal market, but once that’s done they’ll be willing to spend more on pricier items like vape pens and edibles, according to Aurora Cannabis Inc.’s new chief commercial officer.

Cannabis is “unlike tobacco or alcohol because of the presence of this massive black market,” said Miguel Martin, who joined Aurora with its acquisition of U.S. CBD company Reliva LLC in May. “There are some underpinnings to make the pie bigger in a way that you traditionally wouldn’t with discount brands.”

Some Canadian pot companies were caught off guard last winter by avid consumer demand for low-priced flower and had to rush to develop new offerings. In February, Aurora said its market share in flower declined in the prior quarter “as the market shifted significantly towards value brands,” and announced the launch of Daily Special, a cheaper product designed to “compete strongly with the gray market and help grow the overall size of the legal segment.”

– Read the entire article at BNN Bloomberg.