Is the 4/20 on the verge of becoming a marijuana party? | Society

Today may be the day when marijuana officially loses its composure. On April 20, 4/20, the national day of underground drug smokers, seems to be sold to The Man.

The origins of 4/20 are as controversial as the last group of gummy bears after a long smoking session. Some say that it was once a police code for "smoking marijuana going on" – apparently false – and others claim that it was invented by advocates of a Marin County Secondary School, California, which would meet at 4:20 pm to let off steam.

Whatever the origins, this is an important activity for a fast-growing industry – Black Friday.

The 4/20 of this year falls on a Saturday and is expected to be the biggest selling day ever for legal marijuana, surpassing the peak of 111% recorded last year. The Stoners will gather at the Civic Center Park in Denver to celebrate, with clouds of marijuana smoke drifting over the crowd, some still tied dyeing and preaching cosmic uniqueness.

4/20 does not have a Hallmark card yet, but it's not that far. Among the hundreds of promotions related to this year, Lyft is offering a $ 4.20 one-way credit to Colorado and some cities in the United States and Canada. Carl's Jr. Fast Food Chain uses a Denver outlet to test a hamburger infused with CBD oil.

But there is a serious side to that. This year, the Ben & Jerry's Glacier is calling on consumers to pressure legislators to cancel previous marijuana convictions for anyone arrested for smoking marijuana. Considering that these arrests are four times more likely to affect African Americans, the implications of social justice are clear.

According to Kit Yarrow, a consumer psychologist at Golden Gate University, 4/20 is becoming a traditional national holiday, largely because of the boom in marijuana-related activity. Arcview, an investment and market research firm on cannabis, estimates that retail sales of cannabis-based products in the United States jumped to $ 10.5 billion. last year, three times more than in 2017.

"It's still a celebration of marijuana, but marijuana-related brands have broadened the conversation and marketers tend to associate something with a cold side," says Yarrow. This conversation, she adds, is increasingly focused on people wondering what role cannabis could play in their lives.

"The mentality of the stoner guys is still there, but there's another one that's more focused on the medicinal properties of marijuana and growing in size," Yarrow said.

The market for CBD products, made from cannabis from the hemp plant, could have beneficial health effects, but will not make you tender.

CBD, which is not listed as a controlled substance, can now be found in sweets, coffee and other foods, beverages and dietary supplements, as well as in fragrances, lotions, creams and soap .

According to Louis Zerobnick, a Colorado veteran, the CBD industry could become a much larger company than THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. In fact, he says, the marijuana industry has far exceeded its hippie-stoner roots and is increasingly dominated by big industries and big banks.

"Many old hippies are not going to succeed in this new industry. Although they are responsible and have done the right thing to do that, you find that marijuana growers want to bring in people who have worked in other industries regulated by the government. That's the level of professionalism it takes now to make it a real business, "said Zerobnick.

Zerobnick thinks that 4/20 could one day overtake the size of other semi-official holidays, including Valentine's Day and Halloween. "It's a national, non-denominational, non-racial celebration, celebrated primarily by the rise of power," said Zerobnick, referring to events in Florida, Chicago, and the Cannabis Cup at the High Times in California. "For 4/20 cannabis users, it's as big as Christmas."

And in the meantime, large companies engage in the keen interest of beginners. John Boehner, the former Republican Speaker in the House and a permanent member of the House, is director of one of the largest cannabis companies in the United States, Acreage Holdings. Coca-Cola has a joint venture with a cannabis company that could lead to Coke High. Big tobacco is waiting behind the scenes.

The 4/20, the pioneers of counterculture who have campaigned for legalization, may be wondering if there is a high price for a high legal price.

"We do not necessarily like that, but everyone knows it," says Zerobnick. At the same time that many old hippies will not arrive, he says, "many could become billionaires when they are redeemed and their strains become a commercial success."