While most cannabis businesses—especially dispensaries—are preparing for a successful day of sales on the upcoming 4/20 holiday, Massachusetts-based Temescal Wellness is taking a different approach this year.
The vertically integrated company, which operates two production facilities in Worcester and North Adams, as well as three medical and adult-use dispensaries in Framingham, Hudson and Pittsfield, announced last month that it has declared 4/20 a paid employee holiday.
Temescal Wellness will close its cultivation and retail facilities next Thursday, on what’s anticipated to be the biggest sales day of the year for the industry, as well as its corporate office in Framingham.
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Massachusetts’ adult-use cannabis retailers recorded $6,033,668.20 in sales on April 20, 2022, representing a 47% increase compared to the average sales day of $4,104,761.33 for all of April, according to data from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
Even so, Temescal Wellness Director of Retail and Customer Engagement Sian Leininger says it is important to give the company’s employees the day off with pay to reward their hard work and allow them to celebrate however they wish.
“We think everyone in the cannabis industry should have 4/20 off,” Leininger tells Cannabis Business Times. “We pride ourselves on our passion for and knowledge of cannabis. Our team members are so dedicated year-round to keeping up with industry trends, new strains, new products and so much more, so that they can provide customers with the best care out there. We want to reward their unwavering commitment to helping people discover the ways cannabis can improve their lives by giving them the day off, with pay, to celebrate however they want.”
Temescal Wellness hires people who share the company’s passion for cannabis and the plant’s ability to promote wellness, Leininger says. In turn, the company’s leadership prioritizes employees’ wellness and happiness.
“We’re very fortunate to work in an industry in which people are really excited and inspired about the work we do and the product we provide—and we think businesses across the industry should reward that enthusiastic spirit,” she says. “We may be the first company to declare 4/20 a paid holiday for our employees, but we certainly don’t want to be the last. We hope others follow suit, so that as an industry, we can remove stigma around cannabis consumption and normalize the holiday and cannabis culture.
“We know customers and industry peers share our belief in the power of cannabis to help amplify the health and happiness that people experience in their daily lives, and we hope that by taking the day off, we’re encouraging the broader public to celebrate cannabis and its beneficial properties.”
Since the company’s dispensaries will close on 4/20, Temescal Wellness is celebrating the holiday all month long with an expanded menu that includes new products at various price points.
“This 4/20-celebration menu is our most comprehensive menu to date,” Leininger says. “With great value products and daily offers, and month-long bundles, customers can try new items, stock up on their favorite flower, prerolls, concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals and more, and, with offers running well after the 4/20 holiday, [they can] replenish depleted supplies.”
So far, she says Temescal Wellness’ patients and customers have responded well to the company’s decision to shut down on 4/20.
“Customers have been so enthusiastic,” Leininger says. “A lot of our customers are loyal regulars who have come to know our team members well over the years. They come in and chat about their day, tell them about what sort of product or strain they’re looking for based on what’s going on with them in their lives, and leave with a smile on their face, feeling like they’ve just caught up with a friend. Our customers of all people know just how deserving our team members are of a paid holiday to celebrate the cannabis that we’re all so passionate about.”
Overall, she says that Temescal Wellness tries to provide benefits and perks that support the well-being of its team; in addition to PTO, the company offers holiday pay, a comprehensive suite of benefits and an employee discount at its dispensaries.
And since wellness is one of the company’s core values, Leininger says it’s important that the 4/20 paid holiday “has no strings attached” and that employees celebrate in whatever way they choose, whether by relaxing and resting or having fun and partaking in cannabis—commonly referred to as “professional development” by the Temescal Wellness team, Leininger says.
“We hope it’s a day that contributes to their overall happiness,” she says.
Looking beyond 4/20, Leininger says one of the company’s main goals is to provide medical cannabis patients and adult-use consumers with a variety of choices to help drive their health and happiness. Temescal Wellness strives to give customers personal guidance, education and a curated selection of products to meet each person’s individual needs.
“In a broader and longer-term sense, we want to expand access to cannabis, educate the public about its beneficial properties, remove stigma around cannabis consumption and normalize cannabis culture, so that more people can come to experience its benefits,” Leininger says. “Proclaiming 4/20 a paid employee holiday is just one of the many ways we’re doing this, and we hope everyone takes the day, or just a moment on April 20, to pay respect to the cannabis plant and its evolving role in our lives.”
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