Maximizing Your Next 4/20 Sales with Distru: A Guide to Cannabis Industry's Biggest Day

Editor’s Note: Hey there true believers!
Yes, we’re releasing a 4/20 sales guide in June. The plan was to have it published at the end of March, but two things happened:

1. We kept adding information and expanding this guide
2. We had to prepare our team and customers for 4/20 too!

As the saying goes, “better late than never.” It’s not like 2024 was the last 4/20. Give our guide a read and bookmark this page for next year! 7/10 is still coming up too, the hashheads want their sales too :) 

All the best,
Editor

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Is it just us, or do you feel the electricity in the air?

It happens once and year and it’s the biggest cannabis day of the year!

April 20th, commonly known as “4/20,” has become an exciting holiday celebrated by cannabis enthusiasts all around the world. This annual date is synonymous with fun, creativity, love for our favorite plant, and (of course) good vibes and giggles.

But 420 is more than a reason to fire up a celebratory joint and gather in clouds of smoke. Firstly, this international holiday has a cultural denotation and is a symbol of counterculture movements, encouraging cannabis enthusiasts to protest against legal and social stigmas.

Vivian McPeak, a founder of Seattle’s Hempfest, was right when she said that 4/20 was “half celebration and half call to action.”

Additionally, April 20th comes with golden opportunities to bring the green bonanza to your cannabis business and exceed your revenue goals by boosting brand awareness and maximizing your sales.

At Distru, we know you don't want to miss out on the opportunity to celebrate this iconic day and make some epic sales. So, we'll be dropping some knowledge to help you make the most out of 4/20, maximize customer engagement, and break profit records.

Do you want to find the best ways to crush your 4/20 sales? Well, it's time to light up and get ready to learn how to make this celebration the most lit one yet!

Understanding 4/20 Sales Trends

Before exploring some of the most popular trends, such as those attractive 4/20 deals most cannabis enthusiasts are already looking for, let’s take a leap back in time to learn about the origin of this peculiar celebration.

From Humble Beginnings to Green Rush

There are plenty of popular stories about the origin of 420 Day. Many believe it’s a reference to the California police code for marijuana possession (California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 420). Others think it originated from Bob Dylan's song "Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35," specifically the chorus that says "Everybody must get stoned," since 12 times 35 is curiously 420.

But there's a story that most cannabis enthusiasts have agreed upon about the origins of the internationally celebrated 4/20. It takes us back to 1971 in the Golden State.

A group of students known as “the Waldos” from San Rafael High School in California used to gather around 4:20 p.m. to engage in a search for an abandoned cannabis crop using a treasure map made by a grower who didn't want to get into legal trouble for his plants and gave these teens permission to harvest them.

Since these high school students gathered next to a statue of chemist Louis Pasteur, they called this adventure “420 Louie.” The phrase was shortened to just “4:20” after several failed attempts, and it gradually became a code word that teenagers used to refer to consuming cannabis.

This particular term spread throughout the community and outside of the Golden State, especially in the 1980s and 90s, thanks to the Grateful Dead. A brother of one of the Waldos was reportedly friends with the rock band's bassist Phil Lesh.

The Waldos and the band's musicians started hanging out together, spreading the slang. In the early 90s, a flyer encouraging people to “meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing” was handed out at one of The Grateful Dead's shows, and it appeared in High Times. The term became popular after that, leading to the birth of a new observance.

April 20th became a day of protest against cannabis prohibition. Many gatherings and rallies have taken place. Besides bringing awareness to this issue, these activities fostered a sense of community among cannabis enthusiasts.

Upon legalization, these protests became celebrations of progress. This date’s commercial aspect boomed. Cannabis business owners started to see the potential of this day and began to offer promotions or host events.

Today, 420 is a major sales event in the cannabis industry and can help cultivators, processors or manufacturers, distributors, and dispensaries build better relationships with customers and capitalize on celebration trends.

What The Numbers Say

Over the past few years, data has confirmed that the cannabis culture's high holiday is also a day for high sales. In 2023, 4/20 was the busiest date in history for cannabis businesses by average transaction count.

According to the Green Market Report, dispensaries had twice the sales of a typical day. Flowhub reported that last year’s transactions were up 5% from 2022 and the revenue per location increased by 8%.

Headset's data also proves that the cannabis industry made impressive gains in 4/20 2023, generating over $100 million in total transactions with sales hitting $160k per minute at one point.

Do you see why so many retailers offer 4/20 deals to attract more customers? This day can be the perfect opportunity to maximize your profits if you prepare early and are clever enough.

The best part? In 2024, Distru can give you a hand! Let's go over the strategies you can implement to make the most of the upcoming 4/20!

4/20 for Cannabis Cultivators

Are you a cultivator and want to prepare for a successful 4/20? These are the best strategies for your cannabis business:

Optimizing Cultivation Schedules

As a cultivator, how can you ensure you have enough materials ready for 4/20? Remember that demand will skyrocket, so you'll need to adjust your cultivation schedules accordingly. Focus on doing the following:

• Accelerate production timelines
• Optimize staggered planting cycles
• Increase cultivation capacity

Forecasting Demand

At Distru, we truly believe that successful businesses trust their data, and this is the perfect time to make the most out of all the information you've collected throughout the year.

Review historical data and market trends to forecast demand for your strains or products before 4/20 arrives.

Need help? Distru has robust data analytics tools you can use to analyze past sales patterns and customer preferences, which is essential for determining the types or quantities of products you need in order to satisfy customer demand during the cannabis industry's greenest day.

Ensuring Adequate Inventory Levels

There’s no way to capitalize on 420 sales opportunities if you don't have adequate inventory levels. Thus, you must make sure you can offer the most popular strains and products this holiday.

This is part of what you should do:

• Assess current inventory levels
• Project future demand
• Adjust production accordingly

Implementing Quality Control Measures

Amid the rush that comes with such a busy day, the quality of your products can be compromised, which can be detrimental to your business. However, this is completely preventable.

Implement strict quality control measures to ensure adequate potency, purity, and safety levels.

If you need assistance, remember that Distru has comprehensive quality assurance features specifically designed for cultivators. Thanks to these innovative features, you can deliver products that meet consumers' needs and expectations on 4/20 by:

• Implementing rigorous testing protocols
• Effectively tracking batch information
• Adhering to regulatory requirements

Forming Strategic Partnerships 

Strategic partnerships can make the difference between a regular and a powerful 4/20 sales strategy. If you work with other key players in the supply chain, you can expand your reach, increase brand visibility, and drive revenue.

Dispensaries and distributors will be your best allies. You can coordinate product launches, offer joint promotions, and develop marketing campaigns for this busy day.

4/20 for Cannabis Processors and Manufacturers

As a processor or manufacturer, you'll want to streamline your cannabis production processes, collaborate with cultivators, and manage inventory efficiently to meet customer demand and boost 420 sales.

Although this isn't a silver bullet, you can prepare to achieve the best possible results. Below are the best strategies:

Product Planning

4/20 is synonymous with a high demand for cannabis. If you're a processor or manufacturer, the first thing you should do is to ensure you have enough products to satisfy your customers' needs.

Start by evaluating your inventory levels. After that, define your production capacity and resource availability. Based on the information collected during this investigation, make the necessary adjustments to streamline your workflow.

Are you having problems ramping up production? Distru's tools may come in handy. Our solution makes it easier, faster, and more effective to schedule cannabis production, create assemblies, and update them.

Product Innovation

Do you want to attract customers, stand out from competitors, and increase your 4/20 sales? Innovation can set your brand apart and turn your business into a go-to option for customers.

Consider the following recommendations to appeal to those cannabis enthusiasts celebrating 4/20 and convert them into buyers:

• Develop new products or offerings
• Create special editions
• Launch limited-edition products
• Promote seasonal flavors

Quality Assurance

If you're a processor or manufacturer, it's also crucial for you to ensure your products are high-quality. Therefore you should implement protocols to maintain consistency, potency, and safety.

By conducting exhaustive testing and quality control checks throughout the manufacturing process, you can ensure all products meet customers' expectations and are in line with regulatory requirements.

Packaging and Labeling

Your packaging and cannabis labeling can be highly effective tools to attract customers on 4/20 if you adapt them strategically. Update designs and labels to reflect the spirit of this day and make these products stand out on dispensary shelves.

To achieve this, you can incorporate festive colors, eye-catching imagery, and themed graphics.

Do you want to save time updating packaging and labeling for the upcoming 4/20? Distru will be your best ally! Our solution allows full label customization, so you can create attractive and functional designs.

With Distru, you can add the following:

• Static text
• Images
• Dynamic data sources, such as THC content or expiration dates

In addition, our seed-to-sale software offers unlimited templates. You can use them to create labels for finished goods inventory or work-in-progress and adapt them based on your needs, changing their size or even saving them for re-use.

Distru also integrates a label printing feature that adds UPC or QR codes to your labels, allowing you to link them to data sources that will trigger an action when scanned, such as UID or PDF downloads for Certificates of Analysis (COAs).

Supply Chain Management

How can you secure timely delivery of raw materials and streamline logistics operations if you’re a cannabis processor or manufacturer? Partnerships and relationships will be essential!

If you work closely with suppliers and distributors, build strong relationships with them, and maintain proactive communication with partners, you can coordinate transportation, cannabis inventory management, and order fulfillment. Consequently, this will help you avoid costly disruptions during such a busy and important day.

Promotional Strategies

Offering 4/20 deals is one of the best strategies to increase your sales and profits on 420. People love promotions!

Do you want to drive sales and increase brand awareness? Develop targeted marketing campaigns and complement your efforts with promotional offers, social media and email marketing, and digital advertising.

With a well-thought-out and innovative marketing strategy, it’ll be easier to engage with customers. Plus, you can promote special 4/20 deals and make more people excited about your products.

Compliance and Regulation

Although there’s a fun holiday filled with cannabis-inspired activities and good vibes, the cannabis industry is still highly regulated.

Driving revenue will be many cannabis business owners’ primary goal, but you must always stay informed about the ever-evolving regulatory requirements and compliance standards.

Your manufacturing process must adhere to such guidelines. Therefore, it’s essential to review and update your operating procedures (SOPs) on a regular basis, making sure they reflect changes in regulations.

This is easier said than done, but some tools can eliminate the hassle of staying compliant. Distru, for example, has dynamic bill of materials (BoM), cost of goods sold (COG), and recipe tracking features you can use to streamline production and assembly processes.

Furthermore, our solution offers comprehensive reports and centralizes data, so you can easily track and get access to all the information you need to ensure compliance.

4/20 for Cannabis Distributors

The weeks leading up to 4/20 will be a busy time for distributors. What can you do to ensure you timely fulfill all your orders?

If you're a distributor, it'll be essential to optimize logistics, effectively manage supply chains, and coordinate deliveries. The following are some powerful strategies that can help you manage this.

Inventory Management

Did you identify your most popular products? If you're a distributor and want to make sure you're ready to meet the increased demand before4/20, you must optimize inventory levels.

By ensuring adequate stock, monitoring sales, and reviewing historical data, you can predict what your customers will order and equip yourself with everything you need to meet that demand.

Do you want to streamline this process? Distru features cannabis inventory management tools that can help you:

• Track product movement
• Monitor stock levels in real time
• Automate recording processes
• Avoid stockouts
• Reduce overstocking

Additionally, our solution integrates inventory tracking features designed to track both cannabis and non-cannabis products and:

• Set optimal stock levels
• Get access to detailed insights about the status of your inventory
• Collect data about batch and package test results or expiration dates

Logistics and Fulfillment

Fulfilling orders and delivering packages on time? These should be two of your main priorities as a cannabis distributor, especially when 4/20 is approaching.

So, what can you do to achieve this? First, coordinate with suppliers, manufacturers, and transportation partners to ensure products are delivered timely to dispensaries and retail outlets.

If you want to optimize delivery routes, maximize delivery efficiency, and minimize distribution costs, remember that you can use some software solutions or logistics management systems.

Compliance and Regulation

As a cannabis distributor, you must also stay compliant with the state and local regulations governing this activity. Otherwise, you may face fines, penalties, and other legal issues. That’s something you wouldn’t want to deal with on the most important day of a cannabis business, right?

Consider the following recommendations:

• Understand local regulatory requirements
• Make sure all your products are properly packaged, labeled, and transported
• Implements strict quality control measures
• Verify the authenticity and integrity of each product
• Implement measures to prevent diversion or tampering during the distribution process

Customer Service

Customer service is the direct and most important interaction between your business and your customers. If it’s exceptional, it’ll be easier for you to build trust and loyalty among buyers before the upcoming 4/20 holiday.

You need to understand and proactively address your customers’ concerns through effective communication. Plus, it’s important to provide assistance in key aspects, such as processing, product selection, and inventory management.

Do you want to offer first-class customer service? Provide personalized solutions to each buyer to meet their needs and enhance their overall experience. Your customers won’t forget this.

Marketing and Promotion

To attract more customers, you also have to generate engagement about your products. Working with suppliers and manufacturers, develop promotional campaigns and initiatives that increase brand visibility.

Social media, emails, and digital advertising channels are ideal for promoting what makes you different from your competitors, such as 4/20 deals, discounts, and exclusive offers.

Interactions will also be valuable for your business. Rely on targeted messaging and interactive content to engage with customers and create a feeling of anticipation about what you’ll offer during this day.

Technology Integration

Many technological solutions can make your life easier if you're a cannabis distributor. Do you want to boost 4/20 sales? Invest in these tools to streamline your operations and make your business more efficient.

These are some of the technological solutions that can benefit your cannabis distribution company:

• Cloud-based inventory management systems
• Electronic data interchange (EDI) platforms
• Order processing software

With the right software or technology platform, you can reduce manual errors, automate workflows, and enhance collaboration with partners across the supply chain.

Do you need guidance? Distru is an excellent option for cannabis distributors who want to maximize productivity and optimize processes. Our solution integrates multiple robust features for this purpose, such as order fulfillment, batch tracking, and reporting.

Additionally, you can make the most out of our management features to:

• Track production processes
• Get detailed insights into inputs and outputs
• Create assemblies from scratch
• Use pre-set recipes
• Manage multiple cannabis warehouses and locations
• And more!

4/20 for Dispensaries

Dispensaries can greatly benefit from 4/20 deals to capitalize on customer traffic and increase sales. Do you want to leverage this day to boost your income? Start preparing by stocking up on inventory, streamlining workflows, and implementing well-thought-out marketing strategies.

Here are some best practices for such an important holiday:

Inventory Management

4/20 is a dream day for every cannabis dispensary. Customers will flock to stores and retailers to take advantage of special offers and save some bucks when purchasing their favorite products.

So, you must prepare! Although this sounds obvious, it's important to clarify something: you won't be able to meet the higher demand on 4/20 if you don't have enough products in stock.

Take a look at historical data and consider your customers’ preferences. Use this information to forecast demand and optimize inventory levels for attractive products.

Want to get ready? Ensure your dispensary is well-stocked with a diverse and rich selection of cannabis products. That's the first step.

We know that 4/20 is coming up quickly, but don't panic! An inventory management software solution like Distru can simplify this task. With our solution, you can track product availability, monitor stock levels, and streamline reordering processes.

Visual Merchandising

Just a few 4/20 deals and special promotions won't be enough to attract more customers. You need to effectively display what you're offering.

Use eye-catching and thematic elements, such as banners and promotional materials, to communicate your offers and discounts. Remember to focus on this green holiday. It’s attractive on its own!

Besides improving the way you promote offers, be organized. Categorize products according to their content or the recommended consumption method to facilitate browsing and help customers make better decisions.

Customer Experience

As mentioned, customer service will be essential to boost your 4/20 sales, so it’ll be really good for your business if you make this experience a little better.

Your customers will be your guests at your 4/20 party, so make sure you treat them well. Plus, consider the following:

• Provide personalized recommendations to meet each customer's needs
• Offer samples, demonstrations, and consultations to help potential buyers make informed decisions about their purchases or find the products they need
• Train your staff, so your employees can educate customers on product options, consumption methods, and dosage guidelines

Compliance and Regulation

Many state and local regulations govern cannabis sales. If you don't want to find yourself caught in legal trouble or facing huge fines, ensure you comply with such rules.

These are some of the recommendations you should keep in mind:

• Adhere to packaging and labeling requirements
• Check customers’ identification and verify their age before selling cannabis products
• Maintain a safe and healthy environment for your employees and customers
• Implements strict security measures to prevent unauthorized access to cannabis products

Marketing and Promotion

4/20 offers great opportunities to reach potential customers and increase sales, but this won't happen by magic. You need a solid marketing campaign.

Wondering where to start? Launch promotional initiatives and get people intrigued about what you’ll offer this holiday. Also, find a way to attract foot traffic to your dispensary. Hosting a cannabis-related event could help, don't you think?

Digital marketing channels, such as social media, SMS, and email newsletters, will be crucial to promote your products and offers. Also, you can collaborate with local influencers or cannabis brands to take your campaign to the next level and reach a wider audience.

Technology Integration

Technology can also help you if you run a cannabis dispensary. Certain tools can streamline dispensary operations and make your business more efficient, such as cannabis POS and  cannabis CMR systems.

These solutions can help you:

• Manage sales transactions
• Track inventory movement from start to finish
• Generate detailed reports on sales performance
• Gather customer data
• Track purchase history
• Segment customers for targeted marketing campaigns

Do you think these tools can help you succeed in the cannabis industry's most important day? Distru’s POS software and CRM solutions may be ideal for you!

Leveraging Distru for 4/20 Success

The right software can make or break your chance to boost 4/20 sales. Luckily, Distru has been designed to be your best ally during this short but powerful cannabis-related holiday period.

Ideal for cultivators, processors, manufacturers, distributors, and dispensaries, Distru can streamline operations to help you save time, attract more buyers, keep your customers happy, and succeed on 4/20 and beyond.

Final Thoughts

Getting ready for the upcoming 420? From optimizing inventory levels to ensure sufficient stock and meet the higher demand to developing effective marketing campaigns to drive engagement, you'll have a lot of things to do.

We know that it isn't a walk in the park. Getting ready for such a busy day involves doing and organizing many things. Fortunately, this will be much easier if you use a comprehensive software solution like Distru.

Strategic preparation is key to your success on 4/20, and our solution will equip you with the necessary tools to boost sales and thrive on the greenest holiday of the year.

Do you want to learn more about our seed-to-sale software and how it can help you make the most out of the 420 holiday? Get in touch today!

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