‘Tis the season for turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie … and cannabis. Yes, marijuana has become mainstream in America and holiday retail data proves the point.
In 2015, marijuana sales the day after Thanksgiving — Green Friday, as some call it — soared 13 percent from the average Friday, according to Headset, a leading cannabis market intelligence company based in Seattle.
“It looks like people stock up before the holiday on products that are easy to share among friends and family,” said Scott Vickers, Headset’s chief technology officer. “These products also allow inconspicuous consumption so they could be used to relieve the monotony or tension of some family get-togethers where cannabis is frowned upon.”
Green Friday is not a new holiday in California, even though the state’s voters (along voters in Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada) just passed recreational use for adults. There are now eight states that have legalized the herb, along with 29 states that have medical marijuana programs.
“Californians have been used to medical marijuana for about two decades, so Green Friday is not a new holiday for many of us.” says Daniel Yi, communications director for MedMen, a marijuana management consulting firm. “But what is new with Prop. 64 is that sharing or gifting marijuana is no longer illegal.”
And according to Scott, Green Friday is not the only hot shopping day. According to Bloomberg:
The day before Thanksgiving also sees lines at dispensaries. The Washington data set analyzed by Scott’s firm found sales were up 27 percent across the board, leading Headset to dub it Weed Wednesday. Appropriately for the holiday, sales were driven by food and drink consumption; dispensaries sold 58 percent more edibles and 72 percent more beverages than on an average Wednesday. Memorial Day and the Fourth of July showed similar spikes in food and beverage dispensary purchases.
Sharing cannabis appears to be the new normal and you can expect to see retail sales grow during the holiday season in the coming years.
“Most people don’t think twice about gifting a fine bottle of wine during the holidays,” Yi said. “We see cannabis products in a similar way.”
MedMen’s co-founder, Adam Bierman, agrees.
“In states where adult use is fully legal … cannabis promotions around Black Friday have been common, and we expect we’ll see more of that happening as prohibition eases across the country,” Bierman, told Bloomberg.
Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Try these posts: 71% Of NFL Players Want Marijuana Legal, Why Your Marijuana Smells Skunky and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store.
