OKLAHOMA CITY — The days before and after Thanksgiving were the second- and third-highest sales days for legal cannabis in the U.S. this year, Akerna Corp. announced earlier this month.
Nov. 24, also known as “Green Wednesday,” produced $98.2 million in marijuana sales, and Nov. 25, better known as “Black Friday,” generated $99 million in cannabis sales.
During the four-day period surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday, average medical marijuana orders totaled $122.76 and average recreational cannabis orders amounted to $79.37, Akerna reported.
Almost half (47%) of the cannabis purchases were flowers, said officials of Akerna, a cannabis data and technology company based in Denver, Colorado, Cartridges/pens represented 33.5% of the purchases; concentrates, 11%; infused edibles, 7%; and other, 1.5%.
Male customers were responsible for 61.8% of cannabis sales; females, 38.2%.
By age group, Akerna said, customers 30-40 years of age accounted for 31% of the cannabis sales during the Thanksgiving holiday period; customers younger than 30 accounted to 29% of the sales; those 40 to 50 represented 20% of the customers; 50-60, 12%; and customers over the age of 60 accounted for 8% of the cannabis sales.
Over the Halloween weekend in late October, adult-use cannabis consumers spent an average of $77.17 per person on marijuana products, Akerna reported. In comparison, the average American spent about $30.40 on Halloween candy and $33.59 on costumes this year, totaling $63.99, according to the National Retail Federation. The weekend garnered $182.7 million in total adult-use and medical sales, Akerna said.
The largest single day for cannabis purchases this year was April 20, producing $111.8 million in medical and recreational sales, Akerna reported. It was the sixth time in seven years that date has registered record sales of marijuana products; April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday, when people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.