Author: Kaitlin Domangue

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. For cannabis consumers and cannabis businesses alike. It’s no secret that cannabis consumers consider cannabis to be an important part of their holiday traditions. So much so, that cannabis dispensaries see a noticeable lift in sales each year around the holidays. 

We kicked off the 2021 holiday season with Green Wednesday. Green Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving every year. Many people call it the Black Friday of cannabis. Headset found Green Wednesday sales showed a 33% increase in total retail sales compared to the previous four Wednesdays. As we move into the winter holidays, you can expect to see a boost in cannabis retail sales. 

2020 Holiday Retail Data

Let’s look at some holiday retail data from 2020 from Headset, LeafLink, and Flow Hub. It’s interesting to compare 2020 data with 2021 data, or even data from another year. 2020 was unlike any other. In the cannabis industry, the 2020 holiday season saw cannabis deliveries skyrocket. Stay-at-home orders prevented people from visiting the dispensary in person. Though 2021 will likely see a large number of delivery and in-store pickup orders, we appear to be returning to in-store shopping. 

Sales increased 61% over the previous four Thursdays last Christmas Eve, according to Headset. The week leading up to Christmas, December 21st through December 24th, saw 33% greater average daily sales than the prior four weeks. Consumers bring cannabis to their holiday gathering for many different reasons. Medical patients might need the help stimulating an appetite or reducing social anxiety and stress. Some consumers share it with their family. 

Flower Was 2020’s Most Popular Pre-Holiday Product Category

In 2020, flower was the most popular product category in the month leading up to the holidays, driving 32.7% of sales through LeafLink. We predict the 2021 holiday season will still see flower as the most popular product category. Cartridges were the second most popular product category, making up 26.6% of pre-holiday sales in 2020. According to LeafLink, 3.5 grams of Wedding Cake was the most popular product in the month leading up to the 2020 holiday season. Wedding Cake’s most dominant terpene is limonene. Most consumers report feeling relaxed and euphoric, the perfect effects to enter the 2021 holiday season and new year. 

New Year’s Eve Was the #1 Sales Day in 2020

Comparing the major winter holidays, New Year’s Eve takes spot #1 in terms of total cannabis sales. December 31st 2020 saw 26% higher total sales than Christmas Eve (the preceding Thursday). New Year’s Eve was the biggest single day of U.S. cannabis sales in 2020. Flowhub found NYE 2020 saw 69% more sales than a typical day. Christmas Eve was the second highest sales day of the year, at about 58% over a typical day. Historical data shows us how popular pre-holiday cannabis purchases really are. 46% of 2020’s top 10 sales days were in November and December, specifically between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to Flowhub. 

When Holidays Fall Over the Weekend

Sales go up when a holiday falls over the weekend. This year, Christmas Day is on a Saturday. Flowhub 78% of the top 10 sales days were on Friday or Saturday. The cannabis tech company predicts this year to be no different, especially on December 24th and December 31st. They also expect to see plenty of deals through the season, with the 24th and 31st offering discounts on 50+% of all transactions. Between September 2020 to September 2021, 18% of all transactions included a discount. In winter 2020, December through February, 24% of transactions had a discount. The median discount amount is $7.94. 

Final Thoughts

Pre-holiday sales will be just as popular in 2021 as they were in 2020, with the possibility of a year-over-year increase. The cannabis industry remains a vital part of the consumer’s daily life, shielded from holiday sales dips other industries see and worldwide tragedies like the coronavirus pandemic. As the industry continues to regulate, cannabis during the holiday season will normalize even more so than it already has.

Do you dream about your favorite holiday cakes, cookies, candies weeks before the holiday begins? If so, you’re not alone. This is according to a survey of 2,000 Americans, who on average, began thinking about holiday treats three whole weeks ahead of the occasion. Even if you don’t celebrate the holidays, closing the year with  decadent desserts in hand is the way to go. 

Jushi Holdings’ (CSE:JUSH) recent poll found 9 out of 10 consumers, 91% of respondents, living in a legal state plan to incorporate cannabis into their holiday festivities this year. Cannabis brands know this. That’s why more and more holiday-themed, cannabis-infused edibles are entering the marketplace each year. 

The Best Edibles for the Holidays

We’ve gathered a list of six different seasonal cannabis products to try, but you can just about take your pick when it comes to holiday-themed edibles. There are plenty to choose from! We have three peppermint dark chocolate bars on this list alone, but like most cannabis products available: each product serves a specific customer and purpose. The more the merrier. 

Here’s what we recommend this year: 

Insa – Peppermint Candy Cane Chocolate Bar

Pennsylvania and Massachusetts consumers: Insa’s seasonal offerings are for you and your gift recipients. 

Let’s start with the Peppermint Candy Cane Chocolate Bar. It has 100 total milligrams of THC. The dark chocolate bar is coated with mint pieces and creates a sensational flavor. 

Insa so kindly sent the Green Market Report a few uninfused samples in the mail. So while we didn’t get to try the cannabis part of the chocolate, we tried everything else. 

The bar was cut the same as an infused product, packaged the same (aside from a “non-medicated” sticker across the label), and tasted mostly the same. 

Even for those of you who don’t like mint chocolate, you might love Insa’s chocolate bar. It doesn’t taste artificial like other mint chocolate candies you might be used to. The peppermint taste is strong, but not strong enough to block out the dark chocolate’s rich taste. If you have a cannabis friend in Massachusetts or Pennsylvania who does love mint chocolate, we highly recommend this.

Insa – Champagne Drops 

Looking for a non-chocolate option? Insa has also released a seasonal infused gummy, their Champagne Drops. We also got to try the (uninfused) Champagne Drops and they were excellent. They are hand-crafted with real white wine and grapes to create a sophisticated holiday flavor. The gummy is very soft, it almost melts in your mouth. The champagne flavor is prominent, but not overpowering. It’s easy to get carried away and snack on the whole container, whether you enjoy champagne or not! Insa’s Champagne Drops are gluten-free, vegetarian, made with real fruit and contain 5 milligrams of THC per piece. 

Massachusetts and Pennsylvania consumers can locate Insa’s Peppermint Candy Cane Chocolate bar, the Champagne Drops, and other seasonal products on their website. 

Kiva Confections – Peppermint Bark Dark Chocolate 

Unlike the previous two infused mint chocolate bars, Kiva’s peppermint dark chocolate bar just has a light dusting of crushed peppermint candy, it’s not coated with chunks of peppermint. It’s also topped with swirls of white chocolate. Each square contains 5 milligrams of THC. 

Kiva’s mint dark chocolate bar is available to California consumers only, so only Golden State consumers can get their hands on it. Kiva does have a delivery locator on their website if you’re gifting this to a friend from out of state, but they must have a valid ID proving their age upon receiving the delivery. 

Kiva Confections – Peppermint Patty Terra Bites

Kiva Confections’ Peppermint Patty Terra Bites are the holiday twist on the edible company’s classic treat. Enjoy a soft and sweet peppermint core, coated with rich dark chocolate. Kiva’s Peppermint Patty Terra Bites come with a bold, minty-fresh flavor and are infused with NASHA’s cold water hash. Each Terra Bite contains 5 milligrams of THC per piece. 

California consumers can find them here. 

Kiva Confections – Camino Holiday Punch Gummies

Kiva Confections’ traditional Camino line includes unique flavors, and the seasonal variety  is no different. The Holiday Punch gummies feature notes of cinnamon and cranberry, with energizing and delicious terpenes to deepen the flavor. Kiva says these gummies give you the “Christmas Morning” effect, designed to make you happy, excited, and refreshed. The Holiday Punch gummies contain 5 milligrams of THC per serving. Even the drawing on the packaging exudes Christmas joy, a gorgeous, snowy scene of a holiday cabin in the mountains. 

Kiva Confections’ Holiday Punch gummies are available in California. 

Green Roads – Candy Cane Crumble CBD Chocolate Bar

Green Roads’ hemp-derived, candy cane crumble chocolate bar is available in all 50 states, so it’s the perfect gift for any cannabis enthusiast living anywhere in the U.S.

It’s an artisanal dark chocolate bar with sweet candy cane crumbles on top. Not just a few pieces of candy cane either, the bar is covered with it to create that nostalgic and treasured mint chocolate taste we all love during the holidays. The entire bar has 180 milligrams of CBD, with each breakaway piece containing 15 milligrams of CBD. 

The bar is just $10, plus when you apply the code HOLIDAY2021 at checkout, you receive 30% off for a limited time. Stick it under the tree or stuff it in a stocking for an easily-accessible gift under $10. 

Cann – Cranberry Sage Social Tonic

California’s favorite cannabis drink, Cann, claims a huge portion of the state’s cannabis beverage market share. Online, the playful, fun (and sometimes snarky) company has gone beyond California and amassed nearly 70,000 loyal followers on Instagram with its lively, colorful, and engaging feed. 

For the holidays, Cann has released a seasonal flavor: Cranberry Sage. It’s made with all-natural ingredients and each can is just 35 calories. With just 2 milligrams of CBD, they’re not designed to get you stoned. You’ll experience a light buzz, but no hangover the next day. Cann’s drinks are made for social gatherings. 

Grab a six-pack of Cranberry Sage before your next holiday party. 

Green Wednesday, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday deals are over, but plenty of people are still shopping for the holidays. Jushi Holdings (OTC: JUSHF) just recently conducted a holiday poll surveying 1,000 cannabis consumers in legal states and confirmed what end-of-year revenue knows to be true: people love cannabis during the holidays. For different reasons, too. Some people use cannabis to unwind during stressful holiday times, others bring enough to share with the family. Medical consumers might bring cannabis along to make eating holiday food a little easier. The poll said 9/10 consumers plan on incorporating cannabis into their holiday and almost 76% of respondents said they plan to give cannabis-related gifts this year. 

If you’re in that almost-76%, we’ve compiled a list of some great cannabis gadgets, glass, and accessories to gift yourself or a friend this year, including a few great promotions. 

Check them out below: 

G Pen

For the first 12 days of December, G Pen is offering a different discount every day. The promotion started yesterday with free shipping on orders over $25! Today, you can get 40% off select accessories. 

The rest of the promotion is below: 

Day 3: $150 Mystery Box – Roam + Cookies Dash, Grinder Card, Lemonnade Lanyard ($300 value)

Day 4:  40% discount on Connect vape (Black Only)

Day 5:  40% discount on Roam vape (Black Only)

Day 6:  40% discount on Elite

Day 7:  35% discount on Cookies family

Day 8:  35% discount on Dr. Greenthumbs Family

Day 9:  35% discount on Lemonnade family

Day 10:  30% discount on G Pen Dash

Day 11:  40% discount on G Pen Pro

Day 12:  30% off storewide

Visit G Pen’s website to shop. 

Cloudious 9’s Tectonic9 Auto Dispensing Grinder

There are a lot of gadgets that seem unnecessary, especially if you have a perfectly good alternative already. The auto dispensing grinder might seem like one of those purchases, but we got the chance to try one out and we’re hooked. This grinder is perfect for someone who might have less mobility in their hands. It both grinds the flower and cleanly dispenses it in your bowl or paper. No mess and zero hassle. The grinder is durable and made of alloy metal, making it suitable for even harsh, outdoor conditions in the winter. 

The Tectonic9 is on sale for just $36.00 right now. 

STORZ & BICKEL

Newly-upgraded vaporizer models from STORZ & BICKEL are the perfect gift for serious cannabis enthusiasts. S&B’s gadgets come with a price tag, but the quality makes it worth every penny. 

Both the VOLCANO CLASSIC and VOLCANO HYBRID are fashioned with a limited-edition, sleek black exterior and finished with damage-resistant powder coating for a long-lasting gift. The CRAFTY+ model features a USB-C socket to reduce charging time by 25 minutes. Its ceramic-coated filling chamber protects the vaporizer from scratches and damage. The MIGHTY+ also features a USB-C socket, but it can deliver an 80% charge in just 40 minutes and has a 60-second rapid heat up time. 

Shop STORZ & BICKEL.

PARA 

Want to support a woman-owned, BIPOC business this holiday season? Look no further than PARA. PARA utilizes only eco-friendly ingredients from ethical small businesses, and donates a portion of their revenue to the Last Prisoner Project. 

PARA sells an assortment of unique glass, gadgets, and accessories, including the gorgeous aurora iridescent vase bong by My Bud, pictured below. It’s currently on sale for $89! 

Shop the rest of PARA’s collections. 

TheBudGrower – Home Cultivation Kits

TheBudGrower has home cultivation kits for the beginner grower, all the way up to expert home cultivators. The pre-made cultivation kits, including a grow tent, make it easy to get everything you need in one buy. All of TheBudGrower’s products are backed by a 1-year warranty and come with 100% organic supplies. 

Take advantage of limited-time free shipping on all orders. 

Blazy Susan 

Roll and load up in style with the walnut flight pad by Blazy Susan. This walnut rolling tray fits in your bag to go anywhere with you. It features a designated slot for your lighter and a large cone. It comes in both large and small sizes. 

If you’re in the U.S., get free shipping when you place an order on any product by December 6th, arriving by December 24th! Shop Blazy Susan’s world-famous pink rolling papers, pre-rolled cones, and more.  

Cannabis consumers have already started taking advantage of holiday season savings, thanks to Green Wednesday. Green Wednesday sales have been growing with each passing year. Flowhub is predicting this year’s Green Wednesday sales to be “on par with recent years’ 18% YOY growth.” Read our Green Wednesday predictions for 2021 as the final sales numbers for 2021 continue to fall into place.

Cannabis businesses are continuing the holiday promotions as the retail industry begins Black Friday and heads into Cyber Monday. We’ve gathered a list of the best Black Friday savings to take advantage of this year, including hemp and high-THC cannabis products. Many of these companies don’t just carry high-THC cannabis, but hemp products and accessories, so they can be shipped almost anywhere. 

Check them out below: 

Marley Natural 

Marley Natural is the official cannabis brand and apparel company of Bob Marley, managed together by his estate and Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm. The brand pays respects to Bob Marley with every step, from the products they carry to the organizations they support. Marley is famously quoted as saying, “herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.” 

Marley Natural kicked off the Black Friday savings yesterday, offering $25 off all orders over $150 through the 28th. Use code GIVETHANKS at checkout! 

Higher Standards

Higher Standards is a cannabis apparel and accessories company for the true cannabis enthusiast. Higher Standards offers a wide range of styles. Some products are unique and fun, and some are casual and low-key. The online store has clothes, cleaning supplies for gadgets and glass, hemp papers and cones, and accessories all with a luxurious, yet casual approachable, style.

Take advantage of Black Friday savings and get $25 off all orders for over $150 using the code THANKFUL, starting today and ending Sunday, November 28th! Pictured below is Higher Standards’ coasters, created in collaboration with famous potter, Jonathan Adler. 

Stündenglass

Stündenglass makes a one-of-a-kind gravity bong, which they call a gravity infuser. It comes in both a full-size and compact version. It also acts as a hookah. No matter how you use it, luxurious consumption is the goal. They also carry beverage infusers, which you can use to smoke and infuse any drink to the next level. Stündenglass is considered the best of the best, offering consumers more than just a smoke. Using a Stündenglass is an entire experience. 

Get 10% off and free glass upstems today for Black Friday! Pictured below is a Stündenglass gravity bong produced in collaboration with leading cannabis brand, Cookies. 

G Pen

G Pen is best known for making portable vaporizers at an accessible price point. You won’t break the bank when you buy a G Pen, and now that Black Friday is here, you can save even more. Get up to 40% off the entire site, visit G Pen’s website to see everything that’s on sale. This promotion started on the 23rd and will run until the 30th. 

G Pen’s Roam vaporizer is currently $134.97, and normally priced at $224.95. G Pen has collaborated with plenty of well-known brands and celebrities, including Cookies by Berner, Dr. Greenthumbs, and Snoop Dogg. 

Highsman

Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams gives a major nod to his NFL days with his cannabis products and apparel brand, Highsman. Williams was often criticized for consuming cannabis, and this company is now colliding the two worlds in the best way. Find “Pregame”, “Halftime”, and “Postgame” in loose flower and pre-roll options. Most of Highsman’s apparel is neutral in color, avoiding the traditional cannabis clothing designs and bringing neutrality into the picture. 

Highsman kicked off Black Friday yesterday, offering 20% off their letterman jacket with the code VARSITY. This promotion will run through the 28th. 

Ken Ahbus

Not into traditional “stoner” clothes? Ken Ahbus is Mary Jane’s alter ego and he’s ditching the tie-dye. Ken Ahbus carries clothes for the sophisticated cannabis consumer, all with a simplistic and minimalist design. The clothes are neutral in color, veering away from the traditional loud colors we are used to seeing in cannabis clothing. 

The entire is 25% off + free shipping starting today. No discount code needed, it’s automatically applied to each order. The sale will go until December 1st. 

DoubleBlind Magazine

This isn’t a cannabis gift. DoubleBlind Magazine is a print magazine and media company focusing on the rapidly-growing psychedelics industry. DoubleBlind tackles hard issues and how psychedelics can help, such as the depression epidemic and the corporatization of medicine. They also offer different courses and educational resources for people interested in psychedelics, along with apparel! 

For Black Friday, DoubleBlind is offering 40% off on all individual courses. This includes How to Grow Mushrooms, How to Microdose, and How to Use Psychedelics. Pictured below is a tshirt from Double Blind. It’s not part of the Black Friday savings, but the entire site will have a sale on December 13th. 

HHemp

HHemp is all about health. The CEO of HHemp has a personal testimony with hemp, using it to help his young autistic son. On top of that, his son suffered from seizures. Enter CBD. After some trial and error, he found the perfect dose for his son. Then, Hhemp came to be. The company focuses on high-quality, health-focused ingredients for the conscious consumer and has holiday-themed items like the sampler gift set.

HHemp is having a Black Friday sale, offering 20% off all products on the site. Use promo code FRIDAY20 from November 26th to 28th to take advantage of the savings. The company also has a general holiday promotion, running until the end of December. Get 15% off all products until December 30th. 

Daily High Club

Daily High Club sells eclectic glass products and smoking accessories. They also have a monthly smoking box subscription service, where you can get a box full of smoking goodies shipped straight to your door each month. November’s box includes a camera shaped bong, RAW rolling papers, glass cleaning solution, and a lot more. 

Daily High Club is running a Black Friday sale, discounting their three and six month subscription services. Get 15% off today using the code: BFCM. 

Element Apothec 

Element Apothec just had a Green Wednesday sale. Now, the vegan, non-toxic CBD wellness and cosmetics company is saving you even more money on Black Friday. Element Apothec carries CBD tinctures and skincare products like a luxury facial serum, a restorative body lotion, and a healing balm. All infused with powerful cannabinoids like CBD and CBG, and zero bad ingredients. 

Save 30% on all products starting now until Cyber Monday, plus get free shipping on all orders. Use code FRIDAY30 to save. All orders over $100 will also get a free travel size lotion thrown in. 

Sky Wellness

Sky Wellness is a hemp-derived CBD company offering THC-free products. Their diverse product line includes vapes, skincare and topical products, gummies, softgels, and CBD oil. Sky Wellness has products for pets and people. Fun fact: the company’s team is one of the most diverse in the industry, with an executive team 75% led by LGBTQ and women leaders. 

Black Friday started early at Sky Wellness, beginning November 22nd. But, the savings are still on and you can get 50% off all products until the 28th with the code SKYBF50. 

Future savings & gifts

Many of these savings last until Cyber Monday, another holiday taking the retail space by storm each year.

Look for the rest of our cannabis and CBD gift guides happening through the holiday season at Green Market Report to see the best savings and trendiest holiday cannabis gifts of the year.