Cannabis industry expecting sales jump for 4/20
Photo | Nathan Fiske
Bountiful Farms, which has a medical dispensary in Natick, won first place in the flower category at the Massachusetts Cultivator's Cup over Labor Day weekend.
Following Easter Sunday, marijuana enthusiasts across the state are gearing up for another widely celebrated, but far less formal, holiday – the marking of April 20, or 4/20.
Ever since a group of students in California in the 1970s began meeting at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis, the number 420 has since become synonymous with marijuana and the culture around smoking it. The date of April 20 has therefore become unofficially known as the national holiday for marijuana smokers across the nation.
In Massachusetts, Worcester County is something of a hot spot for pot. Cultivate Holdings in Leicester was one of first two adult-use retail dispensaries to open in the state in November 2018, and the Cannabis Control Commission, the state agency responsible for implementing and overseeing cannabis laws, is headquartered in Worcester’s Union Station.
Today, Worcester County has more licensed marijuana establishments than any other county in the state, with 208 total establishments, more than the next two counties, Middlesex and Plymouth, combined. A little less than a quarter of all marijuana establishments in the state are located in Worcester County.
Many of those establishments are looking to use the 4/20 date for making a little extra green of their own, holding deals and special sales to mark the occasion.
At Green Gold dispensary in Charlton, which offers cannabis for both medical and adult use, discounts and special deals are held on a vast array of its products, from pre-rolled joints to marijuana-infused macarons.
“We have a whole bunch of deals going on right now,” said Amanda Woodward, who serves as the manager of Green Gold. “Medical users get the best options, despite what our menu might look like.”
But it remains to be seen just how much impact the holiday will have on general sales across the state. Adult-use cannabis sales started in Massachusetts in November 2018, meaning only three 4/20s have come and gone since then, meaning trends are hard to spot for this particular date.
According to data from the CCC, gross total sales were around $1.4 million on April 20th, 2019 and the preceding day, almost double the total sales compared to the previous week, although they were by no means the highest daily sales of the year. In April 2020, which was supposed to be the mother of all 4/20s – using the year, not the date – was marred by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and sales were virtually non-existent, with only one recorded sale the entire month. In 2021, sales on 4/20 were around the average, but sales from the previous weekend again nearly doubled to nearly $5.1 million. The CCC has yet to release any sales data for April 2022.
But while 4/20 festivities this year are anticipated to cause a rise in sales, the best holiday for cannabis sales is a more traditional holiday long been associated with consumer spending.
“Christmas, 100%,” said Woodward, when asked when the dispensary sees its biggest sales. “It’s like any other retail store I’ve ever worked at. We definitely see an increase in sales.”
Data from the CCC backs up the claim – Dec. 23 of last year saw the second highest gross sales ever recorded across licensed marijuana distributors in Massachusetts. No. 1 was Jan. 28, 2022, and number three was Feb. 12; both of which preceded NFL playoff games.
Challenges still remain for the cannabis industry, such as tackling the issue of diversity – the ownership of licensed marijuana businesses remains predominantly white, straight, and male – but as more 4/20s come and go, the marijuana industry is expected to grow right alongside its crops.
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