[PRESS RELEASE] – PHILADELPHIA, April 2, 2026 – On April 20th, while cannabis retailers across the country are preparing for one of their highest-revenue days of the year, Ethos Cannabis will be closed. The decision to close every store in every market was announced to all employees at the company's All-Hands meeting in December, giving every Ethos employee a paid day off to spend however they choose.
"4/20 started as something simple and personal with friends, flower and time together," Ethos Cannabis CEO Gibran Washington said. "Somewhere along the way, the day got louder. What began as a celebration of the plant is closer today to a retail frenzy, with discounts and doorbusters driving the conversation instead of intention and care. This year, we're reclaiming 4/20 for what it was always meant to be, a genuine celebration of the plant, the people who love it and the patients whose lives it changes.
"If the loudest message on 4/20 is about the price of cannabis, we train people to see it as a commodity, a race to the bottom for operators, not a product that deserves care, education and trust. We want to change the conversation and get back to the original spirit of 4/20, because the long-term health of this industry depends on it."
Giving the Day Back
The closure was announced internally in December and added to the company's official employee holiday calendar for 2026.
“The people who work at Ethos show up 365 days a year to educate patients, answer hard questions and stand up for their communities with genuine care,” Washington said. “On one of the industry's biggest sales days, they are usually the ones making it happen. This year, 4/20 belongs to them.”
All retail locations across Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ohio will be closed on April 20. Wholesale operations will run on a normal cadence, with proactive communication to partners to ensure no disruption to ordering timelines.
‘More Than a Day’ Is a Month-Long Campaign
Closing on 4/20 is just one aspect of the “More Than a Day” campaign, which runs the entire month of April, and helps Ethos step further into the cannabis culture it is committed to fostering. Built around physician-led content, curated product discovery and education that helps patients find what actually works for them, the campaign replaces a single transactional spike with a full month of meaningful engagement to help people build a healthier, more intentional relationship with cannabis.
April programming includes new strain review content, shoppable product collections, personalized patient recommendations and a campaign-wide focus on education across all Ethos digital and in-store channels. Ethos is sharing the full April plan early so patients and customers can plan ahead, with clear options to shop before and after the 20th.
The Physician Difference
Central to the “More Than a Day” campaign is Dr. William McLay, Ethos' lead pharmacist and medical expert. As a credentialed clinician working directly with patients every day, McLay brings a perspective to cannabis retail that the industry rarely sees at the point of purchase.
"What people actually need from cannabis rarely starts with a discount," McLay said. "It starts with someone who will actually listen. I work directly with patients every day, and what I hear consistently is that they want guidance they can trust over a sale that creates urgency. That's what the ‘More Than a Day’ campaign is built around."
Throughout April, McLay's clinical insights will be embedded directly into Ethos' strain descriptions, video content and patient-facing educational resources.
What Comes Next
Ethos believes the industry deserves a different kind of 4/20 story. In that spirit, the company is committing to transparency about how April performs, with the hope that other operators might consider reshaping their own approach to the holiday.
"We're approaching this with the intention of building something repeatable," Washington said. "We'll evaluate the results honestly and share what we learn, including if it doesn't work the way we hope."
The “More Than a Day” campaign runs April 1 through April 30, 2026. Patients can find full details on programming, product availability and educational content at ethoscannabis.com.
