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Brands roll with stoner 'holiday' as pot legalization grows

FILE - This March 22, 2019 file photo shows a bud on a marijuana plant at Compassionate Care Foundation's medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. U.S. retail sales of cannabis products jumped to $10.5 billion last year, a threefold increase from 2017, according to data from Arcview Group, a cannabis investment and market research firm. The figures do not include retail sales of hemp-derived CBD products. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

LOS ANGELES — Potheads have for decades celebrated their love of marijuana on April 20, but the once counter-culture celebration that was all about getting stoned now is so mainstream Corporate America is starting to embrace it.

Businesses inside and outside the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry are using April 20, or “420,” to roll out marketing and social media messaging aimed at connecting with marijuana enthusiasts.

On Saturday, Lyft is offering a $4.20 credit on a single ride in Colorado and in select cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Carl’s Jr. is using a Denver restaurant to market a hamburger infused with CBD, a non-intoxicating molecule found in cannabis.

Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing consulting company Metaforce, says big brands that need to appeal to a wide audience are unlikely to embrace “420” marketing.

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Follow AP’s marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana

Alex Veiga, The Associated Press