The national shopping day right after Thanksgiving took a different color in Colorado as retailers dubbed it Green Friday instead of the traditional Black Friday. While regular department stores in the state still sold heavily discounted clothes, gadgets, household appliances and other consumer items, weed dispensaries joined the fun by offering hefty price cuts on marijuana.

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The availability of recreational marijuana in the state is a first since selling weed became legal in 2012, but the cannabis store opened only in 2014.

"This is one of the first times in the nation that we're going to be able to do such crazy discounts and specials on marijuana products, and have people 21 years or older be able to come in and join festivities," Slate.com quotes John Satterfield, a distribution workers at Kindman Premium Cannabis in Denver.

One such weed retailer is the Grass Station that offered up to 80 percent discount to early birds on marijuana products on Friday. Evergreen Apothecary offers a 15 percent price cut for customers who utter the magic words "Green Friday" upon entering the marijuana shop, NBC reports.

From Friday through Sunday, Kindman will give $50 worth of cannabis for the first 16 customers a day, while discounts could be as high as 80 to 90 percent, Satterfield said.

Boulder-based Green Room offers $10 price cuts for all of its eights, down from the regular price of $50.

The green stores are aware that some residents would still focus on buying regular consumer products on this day, but Maka Kala'I, Organic Alternatives director of sales, pointed out, "It's a pretty stressful event, and some people might need a little relaxation afterward."

However, Seattle-based weed dispensary Green Anne opted to close for the day to give their employees as well as regular customers a chance to spend the weekend holiday with their family.

Satterfield justifies their being open on Green Friday as their way of spreading the holiday cheer while getting Colorado residents "a little bit high."

As more states legalize the use of recreational marijuana, one study forecasts that the cannabis industry in the U.S. is expected to grow up to $8 billion by 2018, which means there would be more Green Fridays in other states beyond 2014.

Tagsgreen friday, Black Friday, recreational marijuana, colorado