Pints and Pipes: A new St. Patrick's Day Tradition

March 17th has long been known as a day for drinking and revelry, but tastes are changing. As cannabis legalization has increasingly become the norm, as opposed to the exception, many people are shifting their holiday celebrations accordingly. We know this day as St. Patrick’s Day, which has been celebrated in America dating back before the establishment of independence. Today we see St. Patrick’s Day as a secular celebration of Irish culture, the color green, shamrocks, and leprechauns. Traditionally. it has been associated with the consumption of alcohol as well, but this aspect of the tradition has been losing popularity. Younger generations are reporting significant decreases in their alcohol consumption habits. In 2023 the percentage of adults under 35 who reported consuming any alcohol at all dropped to 62%, down from 72% a decade earlier.

This data coincides with an increase in the use of cannabis across all age groups. In 2022 the percentage of all US adults who report using cannabis reached 44%, passing the percentage of all adults who report drinking alcohol. 

The causes behind this shift in consumption habits are myriad, but the end result is simple: More people are using cannabis than ever before, and they’re integrating cannabis into their celebrations in places where one beer and cocktails would normally be expected.

Of the typical ‘drinking’ holidays, which includes dates such as Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving, and even events like Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day has experienced an outsized shift towards cannabis use and association. Certainly spurred on by the ‘green’ theme, St. Patrick’s Day has rapidly climbed into the top five ‘smoking holidays,’ those celebrations which have traditionally been associated with cannabis use.

 

Cannabis sales, and those of associated industries such as glass, increase in the days leading up to these smoking holidays. At the top of the list are days such as 4/20, 7/10, Green Wednesday(immediately prior to Thanksgiving) and Black Friday where cannabis sales are mainly driven by discounts and sales specials. But comfortably in 4th position is St. Patricks Day, which doesn’t appear to be motivated by cost savings, as much as by the cultural shift to cannabis use.

 

Despite expecting to pay full price at dispensaries and retailers, cannabis users seem to be seeking out cannabis specifically to include in their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Cannabis retailers have begun taking advantage of this shift, and are running bigger and longer promotions for the new green holiday in 2025. It also seems like the use of cannabis on St. Patrick’s Day is building a foothold among the demographic of less frequent cannabis consumers. The holiday, it seems, is a perfect excuse for those who don’t use cannabis regularly to imbibe and join in the celebratory atmosphere. This is evidenced by marked increases in sales of disposable vapes and ‘light’ cannabis flower products such as shake and lower potency flower and joints.

Whichever way you plan on spending St. Patrick’s Day, Tako Glass has the tools to help you do so in style! We’ve curated a selection of green themed pipes, bubblers, chillums, and bongs for you to check out. Instead of showing up the party empty-handed, consider bringing a brand-new emerald glass pipe, and load it up with some Acapulco Gold or Green Kush!

For those who are still looking for a traditional pint of something dark and bitter, there is definitely some glass to help with that too! We’ve got a super limited run of 50 hand-numbered pint glasses featuring the Tako logo in front of a classic four-leaf clover, available on the website now! You can earn yourself a free pint glass with any purchase over $200, while supplies last. Just add $200 dollars, or more, worth of product to your cart and checkout! No additional steps are necessary. We’ll automatically include your free pint glass along with your order.

Want a pint glass without making a big order? No problem, we’ve got that covered too! You can directly purchase a pint glass for $25 right now from www.takoglass.com

The association of St. Patrick’s day with drinking isn’t going anywhere. As long as fanatic patrons are treated to rivers that run green, and drink specials in every bar and restaurant nationwide, St. Patrick’s day will remain near the top of the drinking holidays. Its position among the smoking holidays is likely to be cemented too, as more and more people reach for a pipe, instead of a pint. It is said on that on March 17th, everyone is a little Irish, so may all the Irish have a safe and happy day with their glass in hand, be it full of Guinness or Ganja.