420. And other key cannabis protests and celebrations.
For years cannabis has been stigmatized and criminalized. On the back of this discrimination, cannabis protests like 420 have grown fast. Many people have fought for cannabis rights. In this article about cannabis protests and celebrations, we’ll do a quick tour of some of the protest flashpoints and cool weed days.
We’ll zoom through the weird world of the Yippies. We’ll take a sneak peek at the renowned Global Marijuana March, and we’ll hang out with some very brave 420 protestors.
The Yippies: “Sticking it to the man”
1.One of the organization’s most notable stunts involved nominating a pig for the US presidency, while another saw them throwing dollar bills onto the floor of the New York Stock Exchange [1] to watch traders scramble for them.
2.The Yippies didn’t have a hierarchical structure or leader, but that didn’t stop them fighting for the legalization of pot.
3.Their logo featured a cannabis leaf, and during the 1960s they regularly gathered for smoke-ins [2] . Not frightened of the law, some of their members were arrested for allegedly selling marijuana.
4.Self-described as “rebels, youth spirits, rock minstrels, [and] peacock freaks,” [3] the Yippies paved the way for the cannabis movement that gained momentum in the late 20th century.
5.You might already know about them because their legacy has been revived through a recent Hollywood film titled ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’. [4]
What do we want? Cannabis protests. When do we want them? Now.
The first Global Marijuana March took place in 1999, and since then, hundreds of thousands of people in 85 countries and more than 1000 cities have jumped on the bandwagon.
These annual events take place on the first Saturday of May. They offer a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and shout for cannabis rights. The diverse range of events held around the world demonstrates the widespread support for the cause.
From London to Rio de Janeiro, thousands of people carry banners, play music, and smoke joints. In short the Global Marijuana March kicks ass!
Why is weed day?
Celebrations on April 20 are super important today, but the calendar event was once just an idea in someone’s head. So, where did it all get started?
The origins of 420 are contested. But, it’s safe to say that in 1995, a woman, Danna O’Donnell [5] organized one of the first April 20 gatherings. Despite only having around 100 attendees [6], the Vancouver meetup was a crucial milestone. It helped to trigger events which mean today the counterculture holiday is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of people each year. This is another example of the role that women have played in the development of cannabis rights.
A recent 420 event in London caught the headlines when a ton of people gathered in Hyde Park. Festivities included barbecues, stalls selling bongs, and informal joint-rolling contests.
According to media reports, one man spent around £650 on a single spliff.
The man was reported by a national newspaper as saying, “It took me six hours just to grind up… I split it with my mate, we just bought it straight out” [7]. Holy moly!
What is the meaning of 420?
420 isn’t just an excuse to get super-duper high. It’s also a day to take direct action and raise awareness about cannabis rights
On April 20, 2022, campaigners in Australia did something remarkable. The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most well-known landmarks, and two courageous individuals, Alec Zammitt and Will Stolk [8], decided to raise awareness by projecting a pot leaf and a 420 logo onto the landmark.
It was a bummer that the authorities didn’t find the stunt amusing, and the activists faced criminal charges. Will Stolk stated, “I think that no matter what the outcome is, it’s our duty as Australians to defend our freedoms that our ancestors fought so hard to protect”.
Change will take a joint effort
The fight for improved cannabis rights is so complicated that sometimes it makes you want to pull your hair out. It might take some time to make change, but we’re all in it together.
With this in mind, you’ve got to jolly well commend the efforts of politicians like Gary Chambers, a Democratic Senate candidate from Louisiana. He demonstrated his dedication to weed reform in a 100% flamboyant manner, lighting up a king-sized blunt [9] during a 2022 political campaign video.
Hats off to you Gary. Let’s hope in the future more policy makers get involved in cannabis protests. Until that happens, we’ll keep celebrating 420 as we did in our 420 events in London and Barcelona where we had a lot of fun by giving away loads of lovely merch!