Canadians will gather on Friday, April 20th (4/20) to commemorate the unofficial marijuana festival. Following long-standing custom connected with marijuana culture, clouds of smoke are expected to rise over cities all around at 4:20 p.m.
Some might argue that such demonstrations are no more required because Canada is likely to legalise cannabis for recreational use by the end of the summer. Advocates and users of cannabis counter that the 4/20 festival is still significant. They contend that even if the prohibition on marijuana is about to vanish, the incident reminds us of the continuous struggle for more thorough reforms including the need of pardons for anyone found guilty.
The Timeline/History of 4/20
Originally observed by a group of California high school students in the 1970s, April 20, often known as 4/20, has become a significant day in cannabis culture. The story began with “The Waldos,” five San Rafael High School students.
The lads would regularly gather by a designated wall on campus between courses, and it was during one of these unofficial get-togethers that they came upon a suspected marijuana patch developing nearby. Intrigued by the prospect of discovering this hidden treasure, the party decided to set out on a hunt for the patch. With hardly more than their curiosity and sense of adventure, they set forth to locate the “green pot of gold”.
The Canadian Origins of 4/20
Thanks in great part to Vancouver-based cannabis activist Jodie Emery, the 4/20 movement has evolved significantly in Canada. She credits her husband, Marc Emery, often known as the “Prince of Pot,” for helping her to create April 20 as a full-day celebration of cannabis and a venue for opposing its prohibition over 24 years ago.
It grew into a quite amazing mass-action gathering. Early on, when it was still a protest, people would gather and that’s exactly what it was. Like-minded people first gathered to engage in nonviolent civil disobedience. It was a group of people coming together and peacefully breaking a bad law and showing that the law was absurd and should be changed. They objected to what they felt to be an unfair law.
4/20 is also a celebration even if it started as a protest. It allows folks who like marijuana an opportunity to gather in a social setting and share their experience. to other cultural activities, including attending a concert or hockey game with a group of individuals to honour a common passion of the music or sport. 4/20 has grown to be a major festival in cannabis culture both in Canada and beyond.
Jodie Emery says 4/20 has become a significant day for cannabis users to meet and celebrate their culture. Many have therefore been deprived of the chance to hang out with like-minded people. Emery said that for many people, 4/20 offers an opportunity to engage with others who have a similar passion even if they are not full-time activists or employees of the cannabis company. People join together at this time to celebrate their common culture.
Cities all throughout Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa, organise yearly demonstrations. Sometimes the attendance in Vancouver is said to be the largest in the country. These happen as a 4/20 Following Legalisation
While the Canadian government had first planned to legalise marijuana for recreational use by July 1, legalisation is now projected to occur by the end of the summer. Insiders in the cannabis sector believe that despite this delay, 4/20 festivities and demonstrations will continue long after legalisation.
Many even expect that when people from all throughout the country join together to celebrate and advocate for additional improvements in the cannabis sector, the events may grow even larger. Legalisation, they argue, will not kill the 4/20 movement but rather help the cultural event to flourish.
4/20 has historically been used as a platform to voice criticism of discriminatory laws on cannabis and the more general issue of prohibition of the drug. Still, Valleriani noted that the event has evolved into a cultural festival that goes beyond its protest beginnings and has become independent. This shift reflects the developments in the legalisation movement as well as the ongoing want to promote further reforms and honour cannabis culture.
Emphasising the event’s growing relevance, Jenna Valleriani notes that it now attracts thousands of people and has live music, stages, and vendors. She says, these elements “have all the makings of an event rather than a protest itself”. The scale, form, and happy mood of the event point to a shift.
Valleriani claims that even as the focus moves to celebration, the event will be even more significant the next year and will continue to acknowledge the work that needs to be done, notably in addressing social justice concerns and strengthening cannabis policy. “Next year, in my view, will be absolutely better. Though it will be more of a celebration, she added, it will also acknowledge that much more has to be done, particularly in relation to social justice and the cannabis legislation. She was particularly enthusiastic about the event’s capacity to raise awareness of the ongoing challenges in legalising cannabis and focus attention on the chores that must be finished to ensure that every community can fully benefit from legalisation.
For Marc Emery and the cannabis community, 4/20 will always be especially meaningful even after legalisation. Emery’s answer to the question of whether the well-known day would lose relevance if cannabis legalisation is clear-cut: “Of course we do.”He compared the importance of gay Pride festivities, which were pertinent even after gay marriage was accepted as legal. “It’s similar to how the gay Pride parades continued after gay marriage became legal,” Emery said. “Social movements on the legal front do not cause the cultural front to vanish.”
Emery claims that 4/20 is not just a protest but also a day for cannabis users to be free from guilt and shame and criticism. On that day, people might “feel like a free citizen,” he observed. Attending a 4/20 event in a place like Toronto or Vancouver may change many people’s lives. “
Being yourself, freely, and honestly without fear of the law is a magical experience.” Emery contrasted 4/20 with other cultural celebrations like gay Pride, where the intention is to honour culture, community, and establishing a safe atmosphere for everyone. “That’s exactly how gay Pride and other events are; they’re safe environments that celebrate culture and community.”
