420 is huge for Dispensaries. But are the Holidays a bigger opportunity?

It’s no secret. 420 is the most important single day of the year for dispensaries. Collectively, the period from Geen Wednesday through New Years Eve represent a signifcnaly more important opportunity to improve customer service and increase revenue.  For dispensaries, this isn’t just another season—it’s the biggest spike in cannabis consumption and sales annually.

Consider the data:

• Green Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) has become a powerhouse. In 2023, cannabis sales jumped 90.5% compared to average Wednesdays, with cart sizes up about 10% to approximately $90.
• Dutchie data confirms the same: sales jumped 91% year-over-year, and average cart value reached $70.80. It’s now the second-largest cannabis sales day after 4/20.  
• Thanksgiving week didn’t lag: total sales topped $355.8 million, with 2 million flower units, 6 million vape pens, and 9 million pre-rolls sold.
• Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve each see their own bumps—sales rose 40% and 54% respectively year-over-year in one report, and December 23 alone saw a 56% sales increase, with vapes up 63% and edibles 64%.  
• Across multiple years, 46% of the top 10 busiest dispensary sales days have fallen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Overall December sales show consistent 15–20% week-over-week growth.  

We all know the value StrainBrain provides in helping the Cannabis Curious find what’s best for them.  But here’s another opportunity: millions will be traveling over the holidays, where they will shop at dispensaries outside their home markets. Often, their go-to strains aren’t available. That’s a lost opportunity. Literally walking out of your store activates a competitor. 

Here’s how you win with StrainBrain:

• A customer picks their favorite strain and form factor—flower, vape, concentrate, or pre-roll.
• Within seconds, StrainBrain outputs three recommendations. If that strain is on your shelf, great—it tops the list.
• But if it’s not, the AI algorithm kicks in, recommending in-stock alternatives that most closely match the customer’s preferred effect, taste, and strength.
• We’ve enhanced the results to highlight which specific attributes align with their favorite—adding confidence to every substitution.

In plain terms: you don’t lose the sale. You convert a disappointed visitor into a happy customer. And in the busiest time of the year, every sale, every positive experience, counts.

The data is undeniable: the holidays are the cannabis industry’s peak. Winning dispensaries aren’t guessing. They plan their inventory, train their staff, and deploy tools like StrainBrain to capture every transaction—even when a customer’s favorite isn’t in stock.

Will your dispensary be ready—or will someone else capture that traveler?

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