The marijuana industry is expecting a massive boost in profits to ring in the new year due to a likely surge of weed deliveries on New Year’s Eve.
Home delivery of medical marijuana in California is legal in regions across the state and vendors, partnering with technology company Eaze, are seeing a spike in demand for weed around the holiday.
Last year Eaze reported a 71% surge in medical marijuana deliveries on New Year’s Eve when compared with an average day during the year. New Year’s Day demand dipped slightly but still increased by 41%.
Eaze partners with medical marijuana dispensaries and doctors in nearly 100 markets in California, serving as an intermediary for sales with more than 100,000 medical patients.
Experts cite family stress as part of the reason for an increase in demand around the holidays, but also argue it’s a reflection of changing perceptions of the substance as more states around the U.S. pass legalization.
Holidays throughout the year are marked with big increases in demand for weed. Marijuana deliveries skyrocketed on Dec. 23 by 23%, when compared to yearly norms and jumped 6 percent Christmas Eve.
The day before Thanksgiving proved a massive success for marijuana businesses, with sales increasing 71%. The demand was so high that marijuana dispensaries referred to the day as Green Wednesday, reports Forbes.
“Basically I think we see the big surges happening because of shifting perceptions of it and the fact that California passed it recreationally,” Shiravi told TheDCNF. “A lot of people that were on the fence about using it medicinally are a little bit more comfortable and are reading a little more about it.”