Dispensaries prepare for increased sales on 4/20

HARDY, Ark. (KAIT) - Saturday, April 20, also known as 4/20, is a day that some choose to smoke or celebrate the smoking of marijuana.

In Northeast Arkansas, medical marijuana dispensaries say 4/20 is one of their busiest days of the year.

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission Spokesperson Scott Hardin explained on a regular day, hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent on medical marijuana in the state.

“On average, the patients in the state spend about $775,000 per day on medical marijuana purchases,” he said.

Specifically on 4/20, the commission sees that number skyrocket.

“We went from an average of $775,000 to $2.4 million spent on 4/20 to purchase more than 500 pounds of products,” Hardin added. That is a jump of more than $1.6 million in one day.

For the Spring River Dispensary in Hardy, staff said 4/20 is a day they prepare for weeks ahead of time.

“Really excited for 4/20. We’ve been working hard the past couple of weeks with all our cultivators,” Dispensary Manager Felice Tiffin said.

Tiffin compared the day to something like Black Friday for retail stores.

“It’s normally the busiest day of the year. We try to make sure we have all the best deals for that day,” she said.

The dispensary said they have been working with their cultivators to make sure there are enough products in store for the crowd they expect.

“Get with all our cultivators and try to buy as much as we can to prepare,” Tiffin said.

In anticipation of the crowd, the Spring River Dispensary will shut down online orders on 4/20 to ensure all hands are on deck for in-person sales that day.

“We’re expecting so many people that we shut down the ‘I Heart Jane for 4/20′ only to make sure we can get all our patients taken care of,” Tiffin added.

The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Commission said in 2024, the number of cardholders surpassed 100,000 for the first time in the state.

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