OKLAHOMA CITY — The counterculture cannabis consumption “holiday” reportedly was the largest cannabis sales day ever last year.
April 20, or 420, is known as “Weed Day” in some circles because the date corresponds with a numerical code for marijuana. Its genesis remains a mystery.
Sales of medical and recreational cannabis last year on April 20 reached a high of $111.8 million, according to Akerna. It was the sixth time in seven years that date has registered record sales of marijuana products.
Akerna is a Denver-based software company that serves the cannabis industry by providing compliance, data, payments, seed-to-sale, track-and-trace, and consulting services.
The four other top cannabis sales days of last year were:
Ÿ Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving a/k/a Black Friday: $99 million.
Ÿ the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, a/k/a Green Wednesday: $98.2 million.
Ÿ Dec. 23, the Thursday before Christmas: $94 million.
Ÿ Sept. 3, the Friday before Labor Day: $90.1 million.
During the four-day period surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday last year, average medical marijuana orders totaled $122.76 and average recreational cannabis orders amounted to $79.37, Akerna calculated.
Over the Halloween weekend in late October 2021, 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 last 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.
Sales receipts during the top cannabis sales day of 2021 were 25% greater than purchases during the top day of the year before: Dec. 31, 2020.
Akerna has been tracking cannabis sales for more than a decade “and we have seen constant growth each year, even amid the ongoing pandemic,” Akerna CEO Jessica Billingsley said.
“Whether people are turning toward cannabis to celebrate holidays, for its countless medical benefits, or as an alternative to other substances, it’s clear that Americans are increasingly purchasing cannabis each year.”