Cannabis User Purchase Trends for the Holidays

The pumpkin pie isn’t all that’s getting baked this Thanksgiving.

A recent survey by Ayr Wellness and the research company Suzy asked 1,600 American cannabis users about their plans and habits this holiday season. 

The survey showed that cannabis is becoming a staple of the holiday season in the states where it's legal, and that many cannabis users (65%) are planning on swapping their usual alcohol consumption with cannabis.

In fact, Thanksgiving might be becoming one of the top “green” holidays. Perhaps not a surprise – it’s a holiday practically designed to stamp out the munchies.

Cannabis Users are Leaning into “Danksgiving”

The study is worth checking out in total, but here are a few highlights:

Cannabis users are buying and sharing their stash for the holidays. 54% of those surveyed said they were planning on consuming with their friends for Thanksgiving, and 70% said they were specifically buying enough to share. 

Family and in-laws may be driving cannabis sales this Thanksgiving. No Thanksgiving is complete without the requisite family drama. Aunt Sarah had too many Cran-tinis, Great Uncle Forest is waxing poetic about lizard people, and the black sheep of the family shows up with a new girlfriend you already hate. According to the survey, 24% of cannabis users are reaching for the bud just to soften the Thanksgiving tension.

Thanksgiving is becoming such a popular holiday for cannabis that 90% of those surveyed said they would be buying the same or more cannabis for Thanksgiving (and Christmas) than they have in previous years. 

And they’re buying that cannabis on Green Wednesday.

Green Wednesday is Getting Bigger Every Year

If you’re not familiar, Green Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving where cannabis users buy in bulk to make it through not only Turkey Day but the holiday season in general. 

Cannabis sales on Green Wednesday are 40% higher than any other Wednesday in November. In fact, Green Wednesday is the day with the second-highest cannabis sales for the entire year, second behind 4/20 and followed closely by Black Friday. 

Green Wednesday brought in a whopping $100 million for the cannabis industry in 2021, and is only expected to grow this year. 

Luckily for consumers, cannabis brands are leaning into Green Wednesday to help facilitate the holiday season. Cannabis deals are everywhere on Green Wednesday, ensuring that customers can stock up for Thanksgiving and beyond without completely shredding their wallet. 

Thanksgiving Cannabis Infused Dishes are Hitting the Table

Vapes, pipes, and smoking may not be the only cannabis consumption methods this Thanksgiving. Edibles have always been popular–edible sales went up 67% since this time last year– but Thanksgiving-themed cannabis-infused food is coming in hot. 

Cannabis cookbooks are sharing recipes designed to fit right on the Thanksgiving table. A recent Denver Post article shared three popular cannabis-infused dishes: Mac and Cheese with cannabutter, green bean casserole with concentrated distillate, and whipped cream made with marijuana flower. 

Finefettle shared its recipe for a turkey marinade using cannabis oil, garlic mashed potatoes using cannabutter, and the ever-popular stuffing with cannabutter. 

Popular wellness influencer Emily Kyle created an entire Thanksgiving menu incorporating cannabis, from the turkey to the cranberry sauce to the pumpkin and apple pies at the very end. 

Leftovers Keep a Cannabis Thanksgiving Going for Days

As anyone knows, the best part of Thanksgiving are the leftovers to nosh on for days (or weeks, if you make liberal use of your freezer). After all, when cannabis users stock up during Green Wednesday, it isn’t just for a single Turkey Day.

H0J suggests a cannabis-infused turkey wrap using leftovers and a few drops of tincture, as well as cannabutter croquettes made with leftover mashed potatoes. 

Leafly put together a leftover menu turning turkey into infused French-dip sandwiches, infused stuffing hash for breakfast, and infused snickerdoodles using leftover apples. 

Cannadish cleverly transformed Thanksgiving leftovers into eggrolls by combining turkey, stuffing, and cannabutter. 

Marketing Cannabis for the Holidays

While cannabis and the holidays are already beginning to walk hand-in-hand, cannabis brands are still looking for a way to expand their market. With regulations and even federal laws hampering the process, it isn’t always an easy thing to create a cannabis-themed campaign.

To learn more about how Inspira Marketing has helped create cannabis-related activations in the past, and to strategize your own experiential marketing, get in contact with the experts today.