Maine pharmacies anticipate a sales rush ahead of the phish show

Dispensaries in Maine are preparing to seal the hatches. Bangor Daily News reports that jam band Phish are coming to town and staff at local pharmacies are preparing for the frantic rush of shops the concert is likely to bring.

Phish will perform at the Maine Savings Amphitheater on the Bangor Waterfront in Bangor, Maine on July 16th – marking the band’s fifth performance in the city since 1993 and their 47th show in Maine. It’s the first time Phish has made an appearance with recreational sales in Maine since the state legalized cannabis two years ago.

Why all the fuss? Because Phish’s fan base of tie-dyed stoned hippies is so devoted and cult-like, it’s even been argued that Phish is an actual cult. (It’s not.) Unlike typical bands, Phish fans follow the band religiously across the country, and concerts generally attract a lot of outsiders — outsiders who smoke bud. Five-digit numbers in the crowd are not uncommon.

While locals are wary of the likely influx of cannabis, they also conceded that a crowd smoking weed is easier to deal with than a drunken crowd.

“Phish fans definitely bring in a great audience, but they’re pretty well-behaved compared to others. It’s not crazy as the country shows. These fans love to party,” Mark Greenleaf, owner of Carolina Sports & Spirits, told Bangor Daily News. The Greenleaf storefront is just a few hundred yards from the entrance to the amphitheater where Phish will be performing. “We look forward to every concert event. They always bring us some business and a lot of them fill the store.”

Pharmacy owners are also anticipating an increase in sales, but may not be 100% convinced the concert will create a phenomenon.

“We are thankful for every concert that comes to town. It’s always a blessing for us,” said Sam Cross, manager at Firestorm, a pharmacy in the city. “It’s hard to say what kind of audience we’ll see for Phish, but we’ll definitely see them. It’s always nice to see a caravan of Phish fans.”

High Times reported on the phenomenon that phish concerts create, creating an atmosphere you don’t even need weed to enjoy. This past April 20th, Phish also performed in New York at Madison Square Garden to celebrate the state’s first 420 public holiday.

The Maine event might not be quite as big, but it attracts the same cult-like dedication seen at the band’s other concerts.

Cannabis and psychedelics are practically synonymous for the band as they complement the music genre very well. Formed in 1983, the Vermont-based band plays the jam band style of music that emerged from the 1960s psychedelic scene. When Jerry Garcia died in 1995, many Grateful Dead – aka Deadheads – fans apparently refocused on Phish. Expect lots of braided hemp and glass pipe accessories and lots of long hair. The band consists of lead singer Trey Anastasio along with Page McConnell, Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman.

Phish has played in Maine nearly 50 times since 1989. One event, The Great Went at Loring Air Force Base in Aroostook County in 1997, drew over 75,000 people. According to the Bangor Daily News, it was the highest-grossing rock concert of 1997 in the United States.