Cannabis sales surge in four states ahead of massive winter storm

For legal cannabis retailers, the record-breaking snowfall blanketing much of the northeastern U.S. meant a record-breaking surge in sales.

Ahead of the winter storm that arrived in force on Sunday, cannabis sellers in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts rang up Green Wednesday-level sales over the weekend, according to marijuana industry data analytics platform Lit Alerts.

Along with the April 20 sales rush, Green Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, is one of cannabis retailers’ strongest days of the year.

“The sales success shows that cannabis has become a staple for many adults, on the prepping list with break, milk and eggs,” a spokesperson for Lit Alerts said in a statement.

In New York, where snowfalls in excess of a foot contributed to Gov. Kathy Hochul declaring a state of emergency, cannabis retailers saw a rush of customers stocking up on marijuana alongside essentials like bread, eggs and milk, according to the New York Post.

Chris Kulian, co-founder of Stoops NYC, a cannabis store in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, said his shop recorded an $8,000 increase in sales compared to the same week last year.

“It’s eggs, bread, milk – and cannabis,” he told The Post. “Cannabis has become the new staple.”

Winter storm shows cannabis is a blizzard essential

At The Cannabis Place, a retailer with locations in Queens and Jersey City, New Jersey, sales doubled, with marijuana infused chocolates nearly selling out, CEO Osbert Orduña told The Post.

“It’s 100% because of the storm,” he said.

“We doubled our staff to meet the demand.”

Since its adult-use cannabis sales launched in Dec. 2022, 578 marijuana retailers opened across the state, including 245 in New York City.

Legal cannabis sales in New York topped $1.5 billion in 2025, an all-time record.