You’ve likely seen the recent uptick in articles and videos about cannabis and coronavirus (COVID-19). Large smoke sessions and a lot of sharing of paraphernalia like bongs and joints are discouraged and the sanitization of implements like bongs and pipes is suggested. Caution abounds, and this is often a good thing, especially when faced with something we have so little information about.
But as anyone who has spent some time in the cannabis community knows, large gatherings are an integral part of the culture. And the number of these gatherings tends to trend upward as we approach April 20th. For those unaware, this year presents the rare opportunity for a month-long celebration; 4/20, as in April of the year 2020. Four-twenty day will be 4/20/20. You get the idea.
So for those of you reading this, this will be the only time in your life 4/20 will be an entire month long. Sure, August of 2040 (8/40 aka double 4/20) could be something I guess, but it will just feel forced to us oldies.
With large festivals like SXSW being cancelled, it’s likely many cities will err on the side of caution and not allow large-scale celebrations like we normally see in places like Denver, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto on 4/20. This would be disappointing to be sure, but sometimes you have to look at the big picture. No one wants to get sick and no one wants to be responsible for continuing the spread of this new health concern.
As I’ve said before, I’m not here to tell you how worried or not worried you should be about coronavirus. Do your research and decide for yourself. But don’t be surprised if 4/20 – the month and the day – look much different than you had envisioned when you first realized 4/20 would be a full month.
Events will be cancelled, cannabis stocks will (still) be volatile and many will be stocking up on marijuana, whether the legal or illegal kind or a little bit of both. Adversity will be faced and most of us will come out the other side and go on with our lives. And it may seem shallow to some to worry about a 4/20 event while people are dying, but tragedy for others doesn’t mean what you are going through isn’t tough on you. Many things suck, they just suck to varying degrees depending on your perspective.
