4/20 pot holiday lights up state sales

TACOMA — Marijuana sales across the state spiked on April 20, also known as the unofficial cannabis holiday 4/20.

According to marijuana data website lemonhaze.com, sales that day were up 79 percent compared with average Washington state sales in the first 19 days in April.

Sales of marijuana buds were up 77 percent compared with previous days in April. Marijuana extracts sales increased 81 percent and cannabis-infused product sales jumped 145 percent, lemonhaze.com said in a news release.

The bump in Pierce County pot sales, however, was more mellow. Pot shops saw a 49 percent increase in retail sales on 4/20 compared with prior days in April. Top-selling products included a 66 percent jump in mixed infused products, such as a joint laced with marijuana oil, and a 56 percent increase in marijuana buds. Sales of edibles, such as marijuana-laced cookies and truffles, were comparatively flat, with only a 6 percent bump.

Thurston County sales saw a 79 percent increase in retail sales on the pot holiday, according to lemonhaze.com, more in line with state figures. Edibles saw a 127 percent jump in retail sales. Liquid edibles, such as juices and THC tongue sprays, saw a 162 percent retail sales increase compared with sales earlier in the month.

LemonHaze.com says 4/20 is the fourth-biggest sales day for marijuana retailers, behind only New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve and the day before Thanksgiving. The website posts hourly charts of top-selling cannabis products across the state.

Washington marijuana retail stores sold nearly $700 million in marijuana products last year.