The cannabis industry’s pre-Thanksgiving shopping spree hit record levels this year, though consumer reaction varied by state. Called Green Wednesday by the industry, dispensaries typically see a surge in sales ahead of what can sometimes be a tense family holiday. This year was no different.

Total sales soared 68% versus typical Wednesdays, according to cannabis analytics firm Headset. But this year’s high times came with a catch. Retailers had to sweeten the pot with steeper discounts, pushing average markdowns from 24.6% to 31.9% — a jump from last year’s more modest price cuts of 17.3% to 24.4%.

“Discounting likely played a significant role in who saw the biggest holiday effect,” Mitchell Laferla, data analyst at Headset, told Green Market Report.

Arizona led the pack with a 104% increase in sales, while other developing markets like Ohio (+94%), Illinois (+84%), and Missouri (+83%) also caught fire. Meanwhile, established markets seemed to be cooling their heels, with Washington (+46%), Nevada and Colorado (both +44%), and Oregon (+27%) posting more modest gains.

Even in Oregon, traditionally one of the nation’s most competitive stables, consumers noticed a shift.

“The last few years have been really disappointing,” one r/portlandtrees user noted. “Really most dispos will have a blanket 30% off on most brands so you’ll definitely be able to score something at a good rate.”

Still, with enough weed to supply Oregon for six more years if everyone there stopped growing, even $12.50 ounces of mid aren’t unusual to come by these days.

“While markets like (Washington state) saw some of the highest discounts on Green Wednesday (33.7%), this was only a 12% increase over a typical Wednesday perhaps making the holiday less attractive to customers looking for an unusually good deal,” Laferla said.

In Missouri, r/MissouriMedical members tracked an escalating price war, with some retailers boosting discounts from 26% to 31% as the holiday approached. Florida medical patients proved particularly skeptical of the holiday hype, despite the state posting a 71.5% sales increase.

“Black Friday has gotten piss poor the past few years,” one r/FLMedicalTrees user wrote. “20-40% off is not a Black Friday sale and I’m not going to let corporate America gaslight me into accepting anything less than 50% off (without them raising their prices the day before…).”

“Not just the industry but everywhere,” another user replied. “These ‘Black Friday’ deals are the same as ‘Easter Sales’ ‘Summer sales’ — same shit regurgitated.”

Beverages bubbled with a 130% sales increase versus typical Wednesdays, while edibles and capsules followed with gains of 97% and 93% respectively, according to Headset. Traditional flower sales, while still strong at +64%, support industry wisdom that folks often seek more discrete options during family-heavy holidays.

And while retailers pushed high-end products and celebrity collaborations, many Reddit users reported hunting for bulk deals instead.

“Even at 50% off 9/10 celebrity & rapper weed is overpriced trash,” one r/PaMedicalMarijuana user commented.

Some Florida patients suggested the state’s failed adult-use ballot measure could dampen future promotions as companies look to recoup losses. But with Dutchie reporting a 91% sales surge across its network, Green Wednesday looks set to stay. The real test may be whether retailers can keep up the promotional pace while staying in the black.

Green Wednesday and its expected sales spike is just a week away. However, data suggests the  cannabis industry’s Black Friday equivalent may be more about timing shifts than actual sales growth, with deeper discounts eating into profits.

Sales data suggests consumers are simply shifting their regular weekend purchases to earlier in the holiday week rather than increasing overall spending. Roy Bingham, co-founder and CEO of analytics firm BDSA, told GMR that last year‘s sales were 72% higher than an average day, with flower products representing 39.5% of revenue, followed by vapes at 23.7% and pre-rolls at 16.9%.

However, Black Friday looks more like a typical sales day, just with steeper discounts, according to data from Seattle-based Headset. The firm reported that average discounts increased from 17.3% on typical Wednesdays to 24.4% during the holiday, before reaching 25.9% on Black Friday.

“Most people are doing their shopping on Wednesday anyway; Black Friday looks like kind of a typical Friday over the last couple years,” said Mitchell Laferla, an analyst at Headset. “Whereas Green Wednesday, that’s that 50% spike (in total sales) that you really want.”

The sales surge also reveals distinct holiday shopping patterns. Beverages emerged as last year’s surprise winner with a 10.5% sales increase during the holiday weekend, while traditional flower sales plunged 14.6%, according to Headset. Edibles and topicals each posted 3.1% gains.

“My suspicion, though I wouldn’t be able to prove it with data necessarily, is people kind of like the discrete method of, like, hey, they’re meeting up with family but they maybe want to take an edible on the side,” Laferla said.

Standing out from the crowd

While sales do increase on Green Wednesday, there’s also increased competition for market share, so marketing – particularly digital marketing – has become increasingly important.

But cannabis marketers face their own hurdles. Major platforms like Facebook and Google maintain strict bans on cannabis advertising, forcing companies to get creative with their digital strategy.

“The elements of the creative have to be fairly benign,” said Jonathan Mellinger, president of cannabis advertising firm Brkthru, noting even approved content sometimes faces publisher pushback. Landing pages pose another hurdle, with campaigns often delayed if pages don’t meet platform guidelines.

Brkthru, which handles campaigns for U.S. dispensary operators, has developed relationships with various exchanges and publishers willing to run cannabis ads, which helps with pushing out the message, but getting the consumer to pay attention is its own challenge.

“Scale matters because you’re in a market where you can probably hit me with a bunch of emails for a certain brand, but if it ain’t my brand, I’m not gonna budge,” Mellenger said.

Discounts can help break down that wall, but it’s not always the right answer. Large operators might be able to absorb holiday discounting, but its harder for smaller dispensaries that face growing pressure to compete. The challenge is balancing aggressive discounting with sustainable margins.

For brands still looking to capitalize on the holiday rush, there’s still time to get the message out.

“If someone came to us today, we would probably be able to turn around a campaign for them and get it launched by Tuesday or Wednesday,” Mellinger said. He added that the firm has private marketplace deals set up with various exchanges that accept cannabis advertising.

He noted that the holiday rush speaks to cannabis retail’s evolution toward mainstream practices – albeit with unique advantages.

“Eighteen percent converting after two views is really good for any industry,” Mellinger said. “The sales cycle is shorter and while brand affinity still exists, you can get a quicker response in the cannabis marketplace with digital advertising – even if you’re squeezing margins to get there.”