You've undoubtedly heard of holidays like Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and of Black Friday. What you may not be aware of, even though it's been in practice for several years, is Green Wednesday.
What is this holiday? When does it take place? How does it impact dispensary retailers like Verilife and LivWell? Here's everything you need to know to make the most of this winter celebration of cannabis.
What Is This Cannabis High Holiday?
It's no surprise that the holiday season can be stressful with shopping, family obligations, work events and the blues brought on by shorter days and colder weather.
What better way to unwind and enjoy a Thanksgiving spread than with your favorite indica, sativa or hybrid? If you're on board with this form of relaxation, you're not alone.
Reports show an uptick in cannabis sales the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that has increased year over year. Dubbed Green Wednesday, this consumer holiday is marked by widespread cannabis sales at dispensaries and other retailers.
It's not an entirely manufactured holiday. Rumor has it that the notable increase in cannabis purchases the day before Thanksgiving spurred the industry to declare the holiday and start promoting sales.
Normalization on the Rise
Traditional holiday beverages like eggnog, hot buttered rum and good old wine and beer have long helped provide the social lubrication necessary to interact with family, friends and colleagues during holiday events where both expectations and anxiety run high.
The increase in favorable cannabis legislation in many states may be disrupting this trend.
As more states legalize both medical and recreational cannabis, the stigma surrounding consumption has started to fade. The practice of purchasing, possessing and consuming cannabis is being normalized, and this is never more apparent than on high holidays like 4/20 and Green Wednesday.
What does this mean? Not only are more people purchasing cannabis on Green Wednesday, but they're taking it to family holiday meals, and they're not shy about sharing.
A Boost in Dispensary Sales
In 2022, cannabis retailers saw a 16% increase from the year before, with reported sales of $116.4 million for a single day. It seems that only 4/20 outstrips Green Wednesday …