Festivities abounded this weekend, when cannabis holiday 4/20, and religious holidays Passover and Easter coincided under a full “pink” moon. Vibes are being felt globally–and more importantly–in mainstream markets–as companies climbed on the marijuana marketing bandwagon. Now, more than ever before, people in the U.S. and all over the world are increasingly pro-cannabis.
Here are just a few of the launches, events, and drops that were 4/20-friendly:
Nike and Adidas released cannabis-friendly, limited edition sneakers–“Me and my Adidas do the illest things,” rapped Run D.M.C. So, what could be more ill than a pair of old school style Adidas “Purple Haze” Sambas? According to GQ.com; in purple velvet with “good vibes” on the heels and a 420 imprint on the sole. Not to be outdone, Nike SB dropped the Dunk High “Dog Walker.” Not your typical cannabis-branded style, except for using a primarily green theme, the rest of the shoe is a tribute to loyal dog friends of stoner owners, with a big red swoosh. Both brands have dropped 4/20-friendly editions in the past.
The 4/20 Smoke-out at Golden Gate Park’s Hippie Hill draws 20K–Local news station KGO-ABC 7 reported a huge turn out for the annual smoke out and activist event held at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, in an area called Hippie Hill. @Global_Netizen1 tweeted, “For the amount of people showing up in Golden Gate Park for the Great Smoke Out, I wonder if the rest of the Bay Area will experience a contact high…#420 in San Francisco seems like a National Holiday.” Officials told the news station that there was extra security in place for this year’s event, which drew nearly 20,000 attendees.
Postmates reports that people got the munchies–Delivery app Postmates reported to ABC News affiliates on ordering data gathered for 4/20, which indicated that orders for classic munchies spiked, including burgers, cookies, wings, and milkshakes. On the flipside, Postmates also offered their vendors a special opportunity to feature a select “munchies menu” for 4/20, and take part in the promo using #MunchiesMenu. According to Postmates, orders for burgers increased a whopping 300 percent. Rapper Kid Cudi even curated a menu of his favorite munchies, available in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, and Chicago.
Netflix debuts cannabis documentary “Grass Is Greener”–Musicians and cannabis icons of today trace the history of cannabis illegality in the United States, and the largely unspoken roots of marijuana prohibition in prejudice and propaganda. Directed and narrated by hip hop pioneer Fab Five Freddy, the documentary starts with the relationship between early jazz musicians and cannabis use, prior to prohibition. First Commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics Harry Anslinger almost single-handedly used anti-marijuana propaganda to stigmatize African Americans and Hispanic people, eventually leading to Schedule I status for cannabis as a narcotic, where it has remained since 1937. Straight talk from cannabis and hip hop icons including Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Damien Marley, Darryl “D.M.C” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh, Chuck D., Killer Mike, and Sen Dog, as well as cannabis activists working to reverse the toll of the “War on Drugs” makes this a must-watch.
”Carl’s Jr. tests a CBD-infused Rocky Mountain High burger–For one day only on 4/20, national fast food chain Carl’s Jr. introduced its Rocky Mountain High Burger with CBD-infused sauce, available in Denver only. While that seems very limited, sales are significant because it’s the first attempt by a national fast food vendor to incorporate CBD into a menu item – pretty edgy, because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have not approved CBD in food as a supplement or a food additive.
Surprise development: CBD manufacturer Functional Remedies trolled the burger launch, and set up a sample stand outside a Denver Carl’s Jr. location, to tell customers about the benefits of full spectrum hemp oil. “Full-spectrum hemp oil, and its most well known component ‘CBD’ is making its way in all corners of life,” said Functional Remedies Chief Marketing Officer Tony Tomassini. “People are trying it to improve their health and wellness, and while we applaud Carl’s Jr. for a fun idea on 4/20, eating a burger that contains a few milligrams of CBD isolate falls way short, as healthy habits go. We wanted to show Denverites how incorporating a true, full-spectrum hemp oil into their daily routine can make a difference in their lives.”
