Jimmy Jonn’s is launching an “elevation checker” in which you can type in where you physically are in the country.
In yet one more sign of cannabis culture’s steady entry into the mainstream, a popular sandwich chain is handing out free treats to those who are highest of all on 4/20.
Jimmy John’s, an Illinois-based hoagie-style sandwich franchise of the larger Inspire Brands also behind Sonic and Buffalo Wild Wings, is launching a giveaway for the residents of Leadville, Colorado.
But before stoners get too excited, it is a play on words for elevation rather than actual marijuana.
The Play On Words Is Sure To Disappoint
At nearly 10,200 above sea level, the 2,700-person town is the highest in the country. In a joke reference to the high one feels from marijuana — Colorado was one of the first states to legalize the substance in 2000 — the sandwich chain is hosting a 4/20 x Leadville party by giving out free sandwiches, merchandise and gift cards to those who drop by.
For the rest of the country, Jimmy Jonn’s is launching an “elevation checker” in which you can type in where you physically are in the country
You can find out whether you’re “not so high” (for example, Death Valley), “kinda high” (a town like Goshen, Conn.) or “highest” (much of Colorado, in fact).
The responses will influence the discount code you get for your next sandwich for the length of April 20, or what is otherwise known as the annual celebration of cannabis culture.
Jimmy John’s/Chew Boom
Legalization And Fast Food: Marketing Opportunity?
As legalization efforts sweep more states and wins broader public support — the House approved the MORE Act to legalize and tax cannabis nationwide at the start of April but needs Republican support to be made into law — fast-food companies are becoming much more blunt in advertising to those who like to light up.
This year, Wingstop (WING) – Get Wingstop, Inc. Report launched a limited-edition hemp-flavored chicken wing called “Blazed & Dazed” while Jack in the Box (JACK) – Get Jack in the Box Inc. Report launched a milkshake called “Pineapple Express,” a strain of cannabis made popular by the 2008 movie with Seth Rogan.
In January, Shake Shack (SHAK) – Get Shake Shack, Inc. Class A Report also launched the “Wake And Shake” milkshake in a nod to the kind of food stoners might want first thing in the morning.
Of course, none of these products have actual cannabis in them.
Selling it would be limited to states where it is legal (18 and the District of Columbia as of April 2022) and require navigating a complicated web of state-by-state requlations even where it is legal.
Expect The (Sometimes Cringeworthy) Weed Puns To Continue
But over the last few years, weed “flavor,” usually hemp or a combination of herbs that mimic the smell of marijuana, and carbohydrate-rich foods have been presented as a solution to the munchies.
They have been taken up by national chains that would only a few years ago not want to be associated with cannabis in any way.
The puns are becoming more and more direct and, with the actual cannabis market expected to exceed $40 billion in sales by 2025, not likely to die down any time soon.
“As cannabis culture becomes further normalized and acceptable, it’s likely that more brands — particularly startup companies seeking to appeal to a younger audience — will specifically begin targeting those consumers who they believe identify with it,” explains Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, told Mel Magazine.
