How to Celebrate 4/20 During a Global Pandemic

For recreational cannabis users across America, a beloved holiday is approaching. That day is April 20th, otherwise known as 4/20, the cannabis culture holiday.

But the current state of the world has thrown everyone’s plans into disarray, and that includes the cannabis community. For many, the typical ways of celebrating this fun holiday have had to be canceled.

Observing the shelter in place requirements and maintaining safe social distance is absolutely vital to stave off the spread of the coronavirus. But being safe doesn’t have to mean missing out on the fun. There are plenty of great ways to celebrate 4/20 this year without putting yourself or anyone else at risk.

Why 4/20?

There are plenty of rumors behind the selection of April 20th as the cannabis culture’s holiday of choice. Some say that “420” was a police code that was used to indicate illegal cannabis use. Others have pointed to the more outlandish theory that Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” might be behind the selection of the day since the numbers 12 and 35 multiply together to equal 420.

The most likely truth is that the tradition of associating the number “420” with cannabis use has its origins in Marin County, CA, where a group of friends would meet daily after their school’s extracurricular activities had wrapped up for the day. One of those students went on to work with the Grateful Dead, and the custom was popularized from there.

Whatever the truth of the matter, it is indisputable fact that both 4:20 the time and 4/20 the day are irreversibly associated with the cannabis culture today.

How You Can Celebrate

Many of the traditional ways of celebrating this holiday will be off-limits this year. But there are plenty of ways you can adapt your celebration to make it quarantine-friendly.

• Video chat and smoke with friends. It’s important to remain in quarantine, so most of us won’t be able to see our smoking buddies (unless you happen to be quarantined with yours!) But you can always hop on a Zoom or any other video chat app and see how everyone is doing. You can even share screens, so if your favorite thing to do while you smoke up with friends is to watch something, you can still do so.
  
• Or, watch something alone! Turn on a favorite old movie or try something new. Find a cartoon with hundreds of episodes. Whichever way you choose to go, we have no doubt you’ll be able to find something to lose yourself in.
  
• Try baking for the first time. No, not that kind of baking! If you’ve never baked cannabis-infused goods before, now could be the perfect time to fire up the oven. If your treats turn out well, package up the extras and surprise your friends by leaving a special delivery on their doorstep—we recommend calling them to let them know you’ve done so.
  
• Cannabis festivals will definitely be canceled this year. Ordinarily, there are several from which to choose on 4/20. But not to worry! While you’re home, use the opportunity to research the festivals and read up on which one might be ideal for you to attend in the future. With luck, next year you’ll be able to make the journey.
  
• Learn more about cannabis culture. If you’re feeling academic, there are a lot of great books out there that will broaden your mind and your perspective. Do a little reading, and share what you’ve learned with a friend.

Stay safe this 4/20, and enjoy yourself!