And Celebrating Decline!
Brace Yourself For 420
A Macabre Celebration of Inebriation
Many people know that “420” relates to marijuana but most don’t know why. There’s no concrete proof of 420’s history, as it’s been lost in the mental fog of time and the poor memory of pot users. However, the most common story traces back to San Rafael High School, located just north of San Francisco. In the early ’70s, a small group of students started a new routine. During the school day, they’d utter their secret phase, “420” indicating that they’d be gathering to light up after school at 4:20 pm and celebrate surviving the school day.
There is certainly no reason to celebrate drug culture, addiction, and especially teen drug use. Those who use the term “420” are giving legitimacy to an illicit industry encouraging drug use among all age groups to alter one’s mental state. Since marijuana use tends to arrest mental development the connection of “420” to a group of immature teens shouldn’t be disregarded.
420 has grown up since those early days of illicit teen pot use. The rampant teen drug use remains but it is now a corporate-sponsored national event. Multi-million dollar investors and entrepreneurs have gotten in on the “fun.” 420 is now a national ad for the billion-dollar marijuana industry. Free press is given to the events and their products. Car crashes soar during 420 meaning innocent bystanders also become part of the “celebration.”
The celebration is especially hollow when the broken promises and lies of marijuana legalization are brought to bear. Marijuana legalization has been terrible for social justice. The black market for weed is stronger than ever. Teen use of marijuana is increasing thanks to marijuana legalization. Are these things to celebrate?
The pot users at these events may have a good time but the people with a real reason to celebrate are the Cannabis CEOs, Investors that pull in record profits through the use, abuse, and addictive quality of the product they peddle. Politicians and legislatures aren’t being left out in this cannabis cash grab and many have now had ties to the industry and would benefit financially from its propagation. These are the true winners of legalization. Is this something to celebrate?
Or perhaps the real point of the holiday is just to get high and forget the problems the very product you are consuming is causing. While Cannabis Corporate America and pro-pot pundits and politicians celebrate, it is up to the actual adults to recognize the danger such a holiday presents to the country and what message it sends.
10 Days to 420 Archive
Day 1 Legalization is Worse Than A Failure
Day 2 Federal Education on Marijuana Has Been Virtually Non-Existent
Day 3 Marijuana and Mass Murder
Day 4 Marijuana is Not Medicine
Day 5 Marijuana Legalization Harms Teens
Day 6 Marijuana is an Environmental Polluter
Day 7 The Myth of Mass Marijuana Incarceration
Day 8 Marijuana Legalization is Social Abuse. Not Social Justice
Day 9 Cannabis and Cronyism
Day 10 Legalization Increases DUI, Poisonings, Workplace Injuries, and More
