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The biggest shopping day of the year may be Black Friday, but the cannabis equivalent happens the day before Thanksgiving.
Despite potential health risks, “Green Wednesday” has been named the second-highest day of the year for pot sales, according to various reports, second only to April 20 (4/20) as the leading day for sales.
This is in part due to dispensaries offering large discounts on products like pre-rolls, edibles, gummies, vapes and flowers.
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According to Dutchie, an Oregon-based e-commerce platform used by thousands of dispensaries across the U.S., average sales increased 91% on Nov. 27, 2024 — the day before Thanksgiving last year — compared to a typical Wednesday. The average basket per shopper increased by 9% to more than $70.
New York dispensaries reported even higher numbers, according to the analysis, with medical baskets reaching more than $106.
A Cannabis Culture store is pictured in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 21, 2022. “Green Wednesday,” the day before Thanksgiving, has been pegged as the second-highest day of the year for pot sales. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“While not as well-known as 4/20, Green Wednesday is quickly becoming a premier cannabis holiday and a vital day of business for cannabis dispensaries,” Spencer Scott, Dutchie’s chief revenue officer, wrote in a press release. “And as more Americans swap alcohol for cannabis, the popularity of Green Wednesday will just increase.”
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A blog post by Catalyst Cannabis — a California-based dispensary with nearly 30 locations — noted how Green Wednesday allows customers to stock up before family gatherings, long weekends and general travel. Catalyst called the day a “pre-holiday pilgrimage for weed lovers.”
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“Think of it as a moment to reset, refuel and roll up before the chaos begins,” the post reads.
According to the seller, Green Wednesday began in the early 2010s, when delivery services noticed an “unexpected sales spike” on the day before Thanksgiving.
Green Wednesday will grow in popularity as more Americans ditch alcohol, an industry analyst predicted. (iStock)
“Customers were prepping for family gatherings, eating/cooking marathons and everyone’s favorite ‘cousin walk,’” Catalyst reported. “Soon, the industry caught on and began promoting special deals around the event, branding it as the cannabis version of Black Friday.”
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The retailer added, “As the stress of travel and family dynamics ramps up, people turn to Green Wednesday for a little holiday peace.”
Potential health risks
While Catalyst encourages taking advantage of the pre-holiday deals, it also offers some safety tips.
Those include knowing your dose, staying hydrated, not driving under the influence and keeping cannabis products safely stored away from kids and pets.
Green Wednesday is said to have begun in the early 2010s, when delivery services noticed an “unexpected sales spike” on the day before Thanksgiving. (iStock)
While cannabis products can have a de-stressing effect for many, recent studies have cautioned that marijuana use may increase mental health challenges like paranoia, anxiety and depression.
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Researchers found that people who first tried marijuana to deal with pain, stress or depression were far more likely to struggle with paranoia later.
Cannabis has also been linked to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to a 2024 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“‘Green Wednesday’ is quickly becoming a premier cannabis holiday.”
“Cannabis is not an innocent bystander when it comes to cardiovascular health,” Dr. Robert Page, a University of Colorado School of Medicine professor who serves as the American Heart Association chair, told Fox News Digital at the time.
“We need to get out to the public the fact that there is a potential for these types of cardiovascular events and people need to make an informed decision.”
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Potency has also increased in recent decades. According to the American Psychological Association, in the 1960s and 1970s, marijuana averaged about 1% THC; today, many products reach 30% and concentrates can be as high as 95%.
Fox News Digital’s Khloe Quill contributed to this report.