How Reddit’s Cannabis Critics Are Helping Brands Spot Market Trends Before They Hit Dispensaries
From the early days of internet forums to today’s thriving Reddit communities, cannabis discussions have transformed, offering unprecedented visibility into consumer preferences.
Caleb Chen, founder of The Highest Critic and a key moderator on Reddit’s largest cannabis community, has harnessed this evolution, creating a platform that fills a crucial gap: providing unfiltered, ground-level reviews at a time when the industry is dominated by dispensary marketing.
“Reviewers on The Highest Critic aren’t just casual users—they’re connoisseurs buying the best cannabis, whether it’s from the legal market or the underground scene,” Chen shared with Benzinga Cannabis. “Their insights offer an early look at trends, often predicting which strains will become the next big thing in dispensaries.”
This approach of gathering authentic, ground-level feedback mirrors the spirit of early online cannabis forums, where enthusiasts first connected over shared experiences.
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From Usenet To Reddit: The Evolution Of Cannabis Conversations
Chen traces the history of online cannabis discussions back to the earliest days of the internet. “Cannabis has been part of the online conversation since the ARPANET era. At the dawn of the internet, …