DENVER — That's not mistletoe. From new marijuana strains for the holidays to gift sets and pot-and-pumpkin pies, the burgeoning marijuana industry in Colorado is scrambling to get a piece of the holiday shopping dollar.
Dispensaries in many states have been offering holiday specials for medical customers for years — but this first season of open-to-all-adults marijuana sales in some states means cannabis shops are using more of the tactics traditional retailers use. Here's a look at how the recreational marijuana industry is trying to spur sales:
Traditional retailers sell some items below cost to drive traffic. Recreational marijuana retailers are doing the same.
Grass Station in Denver is selling an ounce for $50 — about a fifth of the cost of the next-cheapest strain at the Colorado dispensary — to the first 16 customers in line Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. That works out to less than $1 a joint for the early-rising pot shopper. Owner Ryan Fox says his Black Friday pot is of decent quality. He's selling below cost to get attention — and new customers. As Colorado dispensaries approach a year of being able to sell weed to adults over 21, not just medical patients, retailers have to do more than just sell pot to get attention, he says.
Pot shops are using old and new media to advertise. One is taking out a full-page Denver Post ad and inviting shoppers to text a code for extra savings.
Sweets and marijuana seem to go together. Many dispensaries at this time of year resemble a Starbucks, with holiday spices and festive music in the air. One of the state's largest edible-pot makers, Sweet Grass Kitchen, debuted a miniature pumpkin pie that delivers as much punch as a medium-size joint. The pie joins holiday-spiced teas, minty pot confections, and cannabis-infused honey oil.
Some shops are angling for high-end shoppers, not more foot traffic. Colorado Harvest and Evergreen Apothecary timed the release of some top-shelf strains of potent pot for the holidays. A spokeswoman says they're ''sort of like the best bourbon or Scotch that will be competing on quality.''
Just because marijuana can't leave Colorado doesn't mean dispensaries don't have items for out-of-state friends and family. Some are highlighting non-cannabis gift items ike T-shirts and rolling papers. The sets are for shoppers who want to give a taste of Colorado's new marijuana industry without breaking federal law by mailing it or taking it out of state.