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MARYLAND – Saturday will be a big day for the marijuana industry in Maryland. It’s the first 4/20 since the state opened its recreational adult-use cannabis market.
For those who don’t know, April 20th is a day that people around the world celebrate cannabis. The origins of when and why that day was chosen to celebrate marijuana are hazy; but it’s evolved into a day that cannabis industry stakeholders say can be a big opportunity to bring in lots of green.
Companies like Curio Wellness are grinding away ahead of the day. They operate grow and processing facilities, and run dispensaries.
“From the wholesale side, it’s been not just busy this week, but busy in the weeks leading up to it,” said Wendy Bronfein, chief brand officer, and director of public policy. “We’ve been helping the dispensaries prepare their inventory for tomorrow, and creating promotions for them.”
Bronfein says Curio teams are on standby to roll up to dispensaries with extra supplies, amid record traffic. Curio’s Far & Dotter dispensaries will be offering discounts, giveaways, and munchies from local eateries.
One thing that Bronfein says the company is also launching Maryland’s first-of-its-kind Curio Rewards program. Customers can earn points on Curio-made products towards custom merch, and credit for future purchases.
“We’re really excited about it, and I think on this weekend when people are buying at a savings, and earning loyalty in the store, here’s another way to maximize that experience, and get more for what you’ve bought,” Bronfein said.
4/20 won’t be the only big day of the year for the industry, however.
“The regular retail world has Black Friday; we have Green Wednesday,” Bronfein said. “So, there’s another bump of this later on.”
The holiday season typically brings another blaze of sales for the marijuana industry. Bronfein says that stakeholders also look forward to July 10th, or 7/10. “If you think about those numbers upside down, it looks like ‘OIL,’” she explained.
As Maryland settles deeper into its recreational adult-use market, however, Bronfein predicts that all the bubble and buzz about 4/20 may die down.
“I think it’s going to be a huge day, but I also think that the awareness of the program increases month over month,” Bronfein said. “It’ll be seen as a day for great deals, but I don’t know that it will have the level of excitement and intrigue, and even to a greater extent, the participation that we expect on the first one.”
Even still, industry stakeholders are counting down the hours to 4/20. “I think it’s going to be a huge day,” Bronfein said.
