Buds and beer: Phoenix area bars, dispensaries are busy this holiday season

PHOENIX - From beer to buds – the day before Thanksgiving is a major moneymaker for two industries.

Bar managers say people are visiting their hometowns for Thanksgiving and are grabbing a drink with friends the night before the holiday.

Over in Old Town Scottsdale, the so-called "Drinksgiving" is in full swing with people celebrating.

This isn’t the only industry that’s having a big day.

At Mint Cannabis in Tempe, spirits are high.

"It’s green Wednesday," said Raul Molina, Chief Operations Officer at Mint Cannabis. "We’re all excited. It’s our second-biggest day of the year, right after 4/20."

The green stuff is bringing in a whole lot of the other green stuff.

"Today, normally we do about double what we do on a normal Friday. So, today is Wednesday, so it’s definitely an added bonus in the industry in Arizona," Molina said on Nov. 27.

He says the stress of Thanksgiving is baked into the day’s financial success.

"It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. We have to deal with the family all day. We all have that aunt Betty who is going to be like, ‘Why don’t you have a better job, why aren’t you married?' We are going to have to be nice to her, so we need the cannabis that helps ease the pain with having to deal with the family drama," Molina said.

Just so you don’t show up empty-handed, they’re also selling THC-infused pumpkin and pecan pies, garlic herb butter, corn bread, cranberry sauce and gravy.

"I’m here to pick up my Thanksgiving meal, because Thanksgiving can be a little bit of a rough time around the family," said Amy Van Dyken, customer and Olympic swimmer. "So, I got myself some cornbread, some stuffing, cranberry sauce, some butter, and some pecan pie. We’re not going to be fighting at all."

From budtenders, to bartenders.

Bars across Old Town Scottsdale are geared up for the biggest evening of the year as people packed into local pubs like Coach House.

"This is Scottsdale, the best city in the world, and the most western city you could possibly have fun in," a customer named Chuck said. "The tradition is, have fun, because everyone is smiling today."

Several bars are offering specials to celebrate the holiday. In a few weeks, they will see another huge night – New Year's Eve.