Black Friday Sales Went Green, 2014 Changed the Game for Cannabis in the Mainstream

espite the fact that the legal
recreational cannabis industry has yet to reach its first anniversary in
Colorado this year, it is clear the highly entrepreneurial space is rapidly adopting many of the traditions of more mainstream retail, starting with after Thanksgiving sales.

According to Denver area vendors
interviewed by The Cannabist, this idea was not only deliberate to increase sales, but also to
continue to build a mainstream image for the industry that includes adoption of
delivery methods and ongoing innovation for consumers.

Deeply discounted product (some as much as
80%) were available in Denver through Thanksgiving. This was just the beginning of the first real “green” Christmas Rush. Recreational sales only experienced a brief
one month summer lull this year during late summer, although it is not clear if
this was anything more than an abnormality of a first season in a still highly
limited market. Medical sales in
Colorado have remained strong all year month after month.

As the first “green” Christmas season rolls
deeper into December, and the last pending federal legislative issues are put to
bed by the end of next week (including what is expected to be a historic
agreement on defunding DEA raids in states where such businesses now offering
deep discounts are legal), overall, there is much to celebrate for all
involved.

The idea of a “Green Day Sale” only a few
years ago would have seemed unthinkable. These days, vendors are jumping over each other in providing not only
wide access to deeply discounted stock, but clearly getting into the spirit of
the season.