The Season of Cannabis & Chill: Trends for Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl Weekend

Last year, Super Bowl LV took place on Sunday, February 7. Almost 100 million people watched the Big Game in 2021, making it one of the most-watched TV slots in the country. The following week was Valentine’s Day. 

This coming year, Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day are back-to-back - Super Bowl LVI takes place on Sunday, February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.

There are a lot of things that consumers buy to prepare for these big February events. But is cannabis one of them? And, if it is, is it worth launching a cannabis advertising campaign just to reach consumers who are getting ready to celebrate? \ We wanted to find out. By analyzing millions of ecommerce transactions from February 2021, we could get a clear picture of how sports fans start to stockpile cannabis products the days before the Super Bowl. And, also, how some particularly romantic couples think of cannabis when they think of Valentine's Day. \ Here are three major findings from our latest report, “The Season of Cannabis & Chill:”

1. Super Bowl Weekend Has a Different Kind of Pregame.

The weekend of the Big Game usually brings to mind things like snacks, barbecue, and beer. But our research shows that there are a lot of football fans that are choosing buds over suds - or buds with suds.

Last year, the Friday leading up to Super Bowl Sunday saw 33% higher cannabis sales than average daily February cannabis sales. On Saturday, we found cannabis sales grew 22% higher. 

For cannabis businesses, there’s a big opportunity to connect with cannabis consumers before Super Bowl Weekend. By getting relevant ads in front of football fans who also consume cannabis, you can drive business right before the big weekend. \ But don’t bother with Super Bowl Sunday - our data shows that it’s the worst-performing Sunday of Q1. 

2. Valentine’s Day is a Big Day for Edibles. 

How romantic are cannabis consumers? \ Well, someone must be buying heart-shaped boxes of THC chocolates - when we analyzed the February 2021 performance of five of the top THC chocolate edibles brands, we found that sales jumped by 67% on the Friday of Valentine’s Day Weekend and 55% on the Saturday before February 14. 

This is a very particular purchase for a very particular holiday. When dispensaries and cannabis brands want to target consumers getting ready for Valentine’s Day, customizing ad creative for different types of cannabis buyers and segmenting your ad campaign to specific purchasers - like edible consumers - can make a significant impact.

3. This Year, It’s Anyone’s Game.

It was a close call last year, but, with cannabis sales surging 37% higher than average daily February sales, the Friday before Valentine’s Day led the way over Super Bowl Weekend when it came to cannabis sales. 

But as we look toward Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day this year, the schedule is a little different - Super Bowl Sunday lands on February 13 and Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday. 

We know that, in general, Fridays are the strongest days on average for cannabis sales. With both upcoming holidays falling within the same few days, there’s a clear opportunity to run seasonal ad campaigns. The question for dispensaries and brands is how to run the right campaigns.

The Seasonal Science of Cannabis Advertising

Not everyone watches the Super Bowl and not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, but our findings show that there are real sales trends that offer opportunities to dispensaries and brands to connect with the cannabis consumers who do. 

What the “Season of Cannabis & Chill” really reveals is that cannabis businesses will have to start thinking about how to understand the lifestyle factors that make their customers different. By taking into account not just cannabis habits but personal habits, you can reach consumers with the exact cannabis products they need. 

Want to learn more about what to expect for the rest of Q1? Download the full report to learn about more trends around Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day!