Higher Together: Cannabis and Mainstream Brands Partner for Industry’s Biggest Holiday

For the dankest day on the calendar—April 20—cannabis brands are cutting prices, running promotions, flexing their activist muscles and launching experiential activations at retail.

And some companies have added a new tool to their marketing arsenal: collaborations with mainstream brands, from national fast food chains to grocery store staples, aiming to extend their reach beyond core cannaseurs and further embed weed into the popular consciousness.

On the heels of an industry-first deal between Jack in the Box and Weedmaps, players in the cannabis space have linked with AriZona iced tea, Fatburger, artist and sneaker designer Stan Birch and even Madison Avenue for 4/20-pegged programs.

“As an industry, we don’t have a choice. We have to align with more traditional CPG companies if we want to further legalization and normalization,” Brett Heyman, founder and creative director of cannabis brand Flower by Edie Parker, told Adweek. “We can’t just speak in an echo chamber.”

With sales anticipated to break 2022’s records—that green wave pulled in $154 million in the U.S.—the day that’s considered a mashup of Super Bowl, July 4th and New Year’s Eve will usher in a new level of cooperation between weed and traditional brands. Here are several standout partnerships, followed by more 4/20 predictions.

Elevated munchies

Edibles maker Kiva Confections has linked with national fast food restaurant Fatburger for a first-of-its-kind “canndiment”—weed-infused ketchup—aiming to elevate a typical takeout meal to a new culinary and psychoactive level, according to the partners.

The spiked ketchup will not be flowing at anyone’s local Fatburger—the chain is now a 16-state coast-to-coast operation—but rather will be available exclusively in Southern California, a stronghold for both brands.

The product, at $5 for a 10-milligram packet, dropped early this month at Sweet Flower and Artist Tree dispensaries in the Los Angeles area, with a launch event drawing more than 500 guests. So far, the collaboration has logged some 10 million impressions on social media, per Kiva.

The promo intends to “continue the conversation around cannabis normalization” and support “the increased interest around cannabis as it continues to be integrated into consumers’ daily lifestyles,” according to Kristi Palmer, Kiva’s co-founder. She noted that even the cannacurious can imbibe by taking “their first dip into cannabis, one fry at a time.”

High fashion

Pax, best known for its premium vapes, dives into sneakerhead culture via a partnership with designer Stan Birch for custom-created Nike Dunk Low kicks with a cannabis twist.

The weed brand, which is expanding its product line in New York, will unveil the limited-edition footwear at Let There Be Light, a 4/20 fashion show at the just-opened experiential hub called the House of Cannabis in SoHo.

Consumers can only get the product, with the Pax logo in 22-karat gold leaf and a pot leaf motif on the toe, through an Instagram giveaway.

Pax worked with Birch—whose resume includes projects for the NBA, Levi’s and Lacoste—as the latest in a long line of creative crossovers. According to Lauryn Livengood, senior director of brand marketing: “Pax supports artists because artists have always supported us.”

‘Where’s the kief?’

Liberally defined, an homage can still qualify as a collaboration of sorts, and Edie Parker returns to Madison Avenue for its 2023 campaign to celebrate 4/20. (The iconic Virginia Slims ad series inspired last year’s work.)

This go around has drag queen Gottmik spoofing the “Got Milk?” print images, influencer StoneyMama putting a new spin on Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” tagline and social media star Justine Mae Bitcoin reshooting the infamous and orgasmic Herbal Essence “Yes! Yes! Yes!” commercials.

“There’s something very familiar about vintage ads—there’s a sense of nostalgia, they’re provocative, yet there’s nothing intimidating or scary about them,” Heyman told Adweek. “It’s a wonderful cheeky arena to play in.”

The brand, often referred to as “the Coco Chanel of cannabis,” also loops in well-known one-sheets from classic Hollywood films, giving them a satirical weed flavor. Examples include “There’s Something About Mary Jane,” “Waiting for Puffman,” “Breakfast at Spliffany’s” and “How to Lose a High in 10 Days.”

“This is part of our evolution where we’re feeling more confident in our own voice,” Heyman said. “And in this space, where we don’t have traditional avenues for advertising, we have to make everything our own.”

‘Unique merch’

Puffco made waves in 2022 when it debuted Cupsy, a stainless steel water pipe disguised as a portable coffee cup. And this spring, the brand is continuing to blaze a trail, so to speak, overlaying an AriZona Beverages partnership onto that unassuming product.

It’s the first time Puffco has linked with a non-cannabis brand, according to CEO and founder Roger Volodarsky, who said the arrangement could bring “more visibility for a plant we are so passionate about—we want to spread that message as far and as wide as we can.”

The limited-run glass product—only 420 have been produced—borrows the familiar cherry blossom design from AriZona’s green iced tea packaging and aims to fulfill part of the beverage brand’s mission to “bring customers a memorable experience, from ingredients to unique merch,” according to CMO Spencer Vultaggio. 

The flowered version of Cupsy, selling for $60, unites two Brooklyn-born companies that are “deeply passionate about pushing the boundaries of design, flavor and accessibility,” Vultaggio said in a statement.

Green rush redux

April 20, known as the Black Friday of weed for its massive sales, is expected to beat 2022’s $154 million single-day haul. While legacy markets have struggled lately—price compression, oversupply and illicit sellers are major obstacles—newly legal recreational states such as New Jersey and Missouri are likely to help boost overall numbers, according to researcher BDSA.

Value brands could help drive the bottom line in an uncertain economy, as consumers are pinching pennies at the dispensary and elsewhere, but premium products also continue to perform well, according to BDSA analyst Brendan Mitchel-Chesebro.

Known as a promo-heavy holiday, 4/20 will still see “more dollar sales even with appreciable discounts” on flower, tinctures, edibles and other THC-laced products, Mitchel-Chesebro said.

“4/20 is a big opportunity to boost traffic and revenues” at retail, Mitchel-Chesebro said. “And this holiday is huge for consumer attention and engagement.”