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It’s April 20 (or 4/20) — the unofficial holiday celebrating marijuana.
And if history is any indicator, it’s a great day for sales at Florida’s medical pot dispensaries.
In the past two years, Floridians with medical marijuana cards bought more weed during the week of 4/20 than any other week of the year. That’s according to a Times analysis of cannabis dispensary data from the state’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use. (420 is slang for pot smoking; its origins are debated.)
Steve Mazeika, the vice president of communications at Verano, the parent company of cannabis dispensary chain Müv, called April 20 “the cannabis community’s biggest annual holiday.”
Floridians buy more medical marijuana around April 20th than any other week
IVY NYAYIEKA | Times •
Source: Office Of Medical Marijuana Use
Cannabis market research firm BDSA, which is based in Colorado, said in an email that the higher sales are likely due to “the overall hype surrounding the holiday” as well as increased marketing that cannabis dispensaries do around this time of year. It said revenues reached $23.26 million in Florida on April 20 last year.
“Despite being a medical market, the use of cannabis in Florida for relaxation and recreation-adjacent purposes is significant,” said BDSA chief executive officer Roy Bingham.
Florida only allows weed use for those with medical marijuana cards. But voters in November will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational marijuana for adults in the state.
In 2023, nearly 440 million mg of medical marijuana was dispensed during the week of April 20, a 31% increase compared to 2022, according to state data.
The state saw a 14% growth in the number of medical marijuana patients in that period.
Florida’s not alone. Other states, including Arkansas and Colorado, have in the past reported bumps in medical marijuana sales around April 20, according to news reports.
