Cannabis Trivia for 420

Michael Lynch makes Sacramento’s first ever legal recreational cannabis purchase, January 1, 2017

Interesting and goofy facts to entertain stoners on their favorite day

By Ken Magri

This year’s celebration of 4/20 cannabis holiday, we thought it would be fun to publish some interesting trivia, odd facts and famous quotes about the plant. So, light up and enjoy reading.

Four more unofficial cannabis holidays besides April 20th

Just about everyone knows the story of 420, when four Marin County high school kids agreed to meet for a pot-smoking session at 4:20pm. So, here are four more unofficial cannabis holidays to celebrate, from Budbardisplays.com:

1. June 18th is Jack Herer’s Birthday

Jack Herer, founder of Help End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) was an  early and important legalization advocate from the 1970s through the 1990s. An excellent grower, he also had various cannabis strains named after him. In 2016, Leafly suggested that Jack Herer’s birthday be recognized to commemorate all legalization advocates.

2. July 10th is Dab Day

Somewhere around 2011, stoners began using this day as one to          commemorate cannabis concentrates. Nobody knows the exact origin, but       the date of July 10th, or 7/10, spells OIL when flipped upside down.

3. August 8th is National CBD Day

Created in North Carolina in 2019, this holiday celebrates Cannabidol (CBD). Cannabidol has medicinal uses but typically contains less than 0.3% THC. Nevertheless, don’t celebrate this holiday in Nebraska or South Dakota where CBD is illegal, or in Idaho where any CBD must have 0.0%    THC content.

4. November’s Green Wednesday

In 2016, retailers started Green Wednesday on the day before Thanksgiving as a marketing gimmick similar to Black Friday. The suggestion to stock up on cannabis for the holidays worked. This is the second largest sales day for dispensaries after April 20th.

Cannabis enthusiasts at an Emerald Cup cannabis trade show, 2017

Thoughtful quotes about cannabis from famous people

This list comes from Mongolife.com, the website for a Southern California cannabis clothing retailer:

1. “Herb is the healing of a nation, alcohol is the destruction.”

– Bob Marley

2. “I don’t think pot is more dangerous than alcohol.”

– Barack Obama

3. “It really puzzles me to see marijuana connected with narcotics…dope and all that crap. It’s a thousand times better than whiskey—it’s an assistant—a friend.”

– Louis Armstrong

4. “As an artist, there’s a sweet jump-starting quality for me. So if ever I need some clarity, I smoke a joint.”

– Lady Gaga

5. “Stop killing each other, man. Let’s just smoke a blunt.”

-Tupac

Cannabis phrases for use in advertising

These marketing puns and phrases come from a list of mostly bad examples offered in 2022 by Duree and Company, a South Florida public relations agency. They were created to “fire up” cannabis sales. Here are the best ones:

1.      Best buds

2.      Cannabliss

3.      Weed my lips.

4.      It’s a joint effort.

5.      We’re buds for life.

6.      It’s 420 somewhere.

7.      Sparking innovation.

8.      Now I know my CBDs.

9.      When they go low, we get high.

10.     I always knew weed be best friends.

Cannabis growing at sunset

Important dates to remember in California’s cannabis history

1. 1890s: While Mexicans had grown cannabis for rope earlier in this century, Arabs, Armenians and Turks living in California are the first to grow cannabis to make hashish for their own use.

2. 1970s: California cannabis growers begin growing high-potency Sensemilla (seedless cannabis) after a grower in Sinaloa, Mexico invents it.

3. 1972: The first ever attempt to legalize cannabis on the ballot is Proposition 19. It loses with only 33.5% of the vote.

4. 1976: Governor Jerry Brown signs the Moscone Act (introduced by State Senator George Moscone, which reduces possession of cannabis in small amounts from a felony to a misdemeanor.

5. 1992: Introducing a new political strategy by calling cannabis “medicine,” San Francisco voters legalize medicinal cannabis within city limits.        

6. 1996: Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, passes with   55.6% of the vote and legalized medicinal cannabis statewide.

7. 2010: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signs SB1499, officially    decriminalizing all cannabis possession statewide.

8. 2016: Prop 16 ballot initiative, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, wins 57% of the vote and legalizes recreational cannabis in California.

9. 2017: At 6:57am on New Year’s Day, Michael Lynch becomes the first    person in Sacramento to purchase legal recreational cannabis, at Golden Health and Wellness dispensary.

Five unusual cannabis laws still on the books

Despite legalization, these laws try to address cannabis abuse or downplay its appeal to children, according to mgMagazine and thehealingclinics.com:

1. In Oklahoma, individuals can be charged with felony hash   manufacturing for simply possessing a multi-chamber grinder with a kief-catching screen. Converting cannabis into concentrates is a felony punishable by two years to life with a maximum fine of $50,000.

2. In Oregon, cannabis strains cannot have names with “candy” in them.

3. In Arizona, only official medical cannabis users are allowed to have a list of available dispensaries.  

4. In Connecticut, neon lights are not allowed for cannabis dispensaries.

5. In California, cannabis goods cannot be transported by aircraft,      watercraft, drone, rail, unmanned vehicle or human powered vehicle.

Still not legal! These five states have the harshest cannabis penalties:

1. Idaho. Cannabis possession can bring a five year prison sentence, as described in SN&R’s 2019 “Our Own Private Idaho,” https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content/our-own-private-  idaho/28583793/). In February, 2024, Representative Bruce Skaug reintroduced House Bill 606 to set a $420 minimum fine for possession of up to three ounces. And yes, Skaug said the “420” pun was intended.

2. Wyoming. Possession ofover three grams of cannabis (3-5 joints) is a      felony that can bring a five year sentence and a $10,000 fine.

3. South Dakota. Over eight ounces get you two years and $2,000 fine.

4. Utah. Possessing 1-100 pounds brings five years and a $5,000 fine.

5. Kansas. Possession of over 13 ounces is a felony, with a fine not exceeding $100,000 and prison time up to 42 months.

From a bad cannabis state to a good one, standing at the Idaho/Nevada border.

The five (really six) most friendly cannabis states:

Compiled from several sources, this list is based on the legality, availability, quality of cannabis, and whether social equity programs have been initiated to help those who were victimized by the now-debunked “War on Drugs” get into the cannabis business.

1. California. The first state to legalize, it has the best growing climates, the most dispensaries, allows on-site consumption in some locales and has   established social equity programs in its largest cities.

2. Colorado. The Rocky Mountain state legalized adult use back in 2012.     Since then its residents have embraced cannabis culture, canna-tourism and    a social equity program.

3. Washington: With more dispensaries per capita than California,     Washington has been able to increase the percentage of legal sales over    that of unregulated cannabis. Its social equity program began in 2020.

4. Oregon. Because it is part of the original Emerald Triangle, Southern Oregon grows some of the world’s greatest cannabis. Unlike California, Oregon dispensaries have no security waiting room, you just walk right in.    But unfortunately Oregon has no social equity program.

5. Illinois/Nevada (tie). Both states grow great weed, and with Planet 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada has one of the most fantastic dispensaries anywhere. Illinois has a social equity program but Nevada doesn’t.

Our content is free, but not free to produce

If you value our local news, arts and entertainment coverage, become an SN&R supporter with a one-time or recurring donation. Help us keep our reporters at work, bringing you the stories that need to be told.

Newsletter

Stay Updated

For the latest local news, arts and entertainment, sign up for our newsletter.
We'll tell you the story behind the story.

Be the first to comment on "Cannabis Trivia for 420"

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*