Stand Out From the Crowd on Green Wednesday With Smart Cannabis Marketing Tactics

As the weed scene’s longest-standing holiday, it’s no surprise 4/20 continues to reign supreme for sheer cannabis retail numbers. But it makes equal sense that Green Wednesday—fondly known as “Danksgiving”—has rapidly become the second-biggest retail holiday for cannabis brands. 

After all, the day before Thanksgiving is rife with emotion as people navigate travel, intergenerational family dynamics, culturally significant foods and throwing elbows for door-buster deals on Black Friday.

While some host “Friendsgiving” ahead of family gatherings on the fourth Thursday of November, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving has also earned the moniker “Blackout Wednesday” thanks to the sheer amount of alcohol consumed. Even in states like Utah that tend to take more of a teetotaler’s approach to alcohol consumption, pre-Thanksgiving hooch sales were more than double those of an average Wednesday.

As cannabis has gone mainstream with legal markets from coast to coast, consumers are increasingly turning to weed to take the edge off tense dinner table conversations—and maybe that vicious post-Drinksgiving hangover. And in the past two decades, Blackout Wednesday has yet to budge from seasonal CPG trends, despite the rising popularity of the low-or-no alcohol movement. 

Green Wednesday has grown deep roots since the term first sparked recognition in cannabis trade publications around 2017. In 2022, Green Wednesday weed sales popped off by 15% over the previous year. By 2023, that year-over-year increase rose to 18.12%. As more states legalize adult-use and medical cannabis and existing markets mature, the continued growth of Green Wednesday is likely.

How To Make the Most of Green Wednesday Cannabis Marketing 

1. Lean into brand differentiators. Leave table stakes for the turkeys. During a competitive retail holiday, marketing whitespace is truly valuable. Identify which brand differentiators might offer a competitive edge for Green Wednesday or Thanksgiving. For example, this could look like emphasizing the brand’s origins as a family or tribally-owned business, highlighting in-store activations or hot cannabis strains.

2. Anticipate customer needs. Consumers might shop for flower most of the year, but there’s no denying market data that shows purchases of edibles and cannabis beverages spike on Green Wednesday. While “taking a walk” with the cousins to smoke a joint or puff-puff-pass in the garage is a time-honored holiday tradition, many consumers appreciate discreet consumption formats in mixed, multi-generational company.

3. Think beyond loyalty programs. Dispensary advertising makes heavy use of the percent sign around major retail holidays, and Green Wednesday is no exception. Crunch some marketing math numbers, though, to see if Green Wednesday discounts are the most strategic approach for reducing customer acquisition costs or increasing the lifetime value of a customer.

4. Build interstate brand recognition. Sure, interstate commerce is still a dream for cannabis futurists. But for multistate operators, major travel holidays like Thanksgiving present interesting opportunities to build loyalty with existing customers who will be happy to see familiar products and dosages from home on dispensary shelves at their destination. 

5. Say hello to hometown nostalgia. Conversely, many consumers may be eager to sample local brands the same way they might order a hometown favorite like Genesee Cream Ale or a Philly cheesesteak. Never underestimate the importance of core human emotions like nostalgia and a hunger for novelty when it comes to cannabis marketing.

6. Set up smart marketing systems ahead of time. That 20% discount will generate a lot more sales if customers get a heads-up from marketing emails, social media posts and holiday cannabis gift guides—all of which need to be set up in advance. List-building, search engine optimization, news releases and proactive pitching aren’t short-term projects, but rather long plays that pay off when it’s game time.

7. Don’t get lost in the advertising restrictions sauce. We get it—the inventory is stacked after Croptober, customers are eager to mellow and your team is ready to ride. It’s crucial to keep compliance top of mind, however. Now isn’t the time to trip up on cannabis advertising restrictions, which can vary widely from state to state. Make sure your Green Wednesday marketing tactics are as aligned with what regulators look out for as they are for customers.

Ready to make the most of Green Wednesday, Danksgiving, Black Friday and beyond? We have a handy downloadable checklist you can use to jumpstart planning not only for Green Wednesday, but also for major retail holidays in the year to come. After all, the next 4/20 and 7/10 are just around the corner.

Download Our Pre-Event Content Marketing Checklist

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