Gen Z has shredded a long-held dynamic in the cannabis industry. 

For centuries, cannabis flower has been the king of marijuana. And since legalization, flower has always been the most popular product at legal pot shops in California. But that dominance is now all over, largely thanks to Gen Z. Cannabis vapes surpassed flower in June and are consistently the top-selling product category in California, according to state data. 

California shoppers spent over 10% more on cannabis vapes than flower last month, and more than 170% more on vapes compared to edibles, according to state data. 

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This growth is being driven primarily by Gen Z, who have an overwhelming preference for the handheld vapes and are the first generation to prefer vape pens over any other type of cannabis product, according to data shared with SFGATE by cannabis analytics company Headset. Over the past 12 months of national pot sales, Gen Z spent 38% of their money on vapor pens, and only 32.5% on flower, the next most popular category. That’s the opposite of millennials, who spent 40.1% of their money on flower and only 25.7% on vapes. 

Cured cannabis flower pictured at a facility in Monterey County, Calif. 

California’s cannabis customers buy far more in vapes than they do edible products like these cannabis gummies pictured at Kiva’s factory in Oakland, Calif., on........

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