Cannabis Holidays to Celebrate Throughout the Year

We all know 420 as the quintessential stoner holiday. Even many people who don’t smoke very much have heard of the day; it’s globally recognized. But did you know there are quite a few other cannabis holidays, more quaint and less commercialized ones, that are very much worth celebrating?

So, mark your calendars, call your friends, and make sure you’re stocked up on all your favorite products when these cannabis holidays roll around.

420 – April 20th

First on the list, not because it’s the most well-known but because it’s chronologically first, is none other than 420. The origin of the term 420 can be traced back to a group of five teens from San Rafael, California, the birthplace of many industry trends and the current largest cannabis market in the world. The teens were appropriately nicknamed “the Waldos” due to their preferred hang out spot – a wall outside of their high school. In the fall of 1971, the Waldos got wind of a rumor that a Coast Guard planted some cannabis seeds there and was no longer able to tend to his field.

Every day after school, they would pile into one of their cars, have a little smoke sesh, and scour the Point Reyes National Forest for this legendary crop. Their daily meeting time? 4:20 p.m. They never did find the elusive crop (that likely didn’t even exist), but they did manage start a trend that would first take over their high school and soon reach global status.

The phrase “420” quickly spread around, especially with teens and young adults, because it allowed teens to talk about cannabis openly while their parents, teachers, and supervisors were none the wiser. Eventually, thanks to some attention from Grateful Dead and a simple flyer that read, “We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais.” Once High Times printed the story, accompanied by a photo of the flyer, it was game over… 420 was officially a thing.

Jack Herer’s Birthday – June 18th

If you live in a legal or medical market, it’s not uncommon to find numerous strains with “Jack” in the name. Jack Diesel, Critical Jack, and Super Jack are all variants of the infamous sativa strain, Jack Herer. A lot of people, both consumers and those within the industry, know about the potent effects and robust flavor of this strain, however, many are unfamiliar with the man behind the strain.

After serving in the U.S. Army and moving to Los Angeles, California, Jack tried marijuana for his first time at the ripe of 30 years old. After falling in love with the plant and its effects, he quit his job and opened a head shop in Venice Beach, a mecca for art and hippie culture at the time.

By the 1970s, Jack Herer became a powerful presence in the movement to legalize cannabis. Herer spent a lot of time at the Library of Congress, reviewing decades of government-backed research on marijuana benefits and hemp fiber uses. He used this information for his 1985 book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, which marked a watershed in his career as a cannabis industry activist.

His book quickly became known as the “holy grail” or “bible” of cannabis knowledge. To this day it is still viewed as a classic and a must-read for anyone with any sort of involvement with cannabis. To commemorate his many strides in the cannabis industry, many choose to celebrate his birthday, June 18th, by lighting up a joint, bowl, or blunt in one of his legendary strains.

710 – July 10th

For most people, July 10th is just another day; but in the cannabis industry, it’s a new-ish holiday to celebrate dabs. While most people view this as a very recreational form of using cannabis or hemp buds, many medical patients utilize it for the strong and fast-acting effects. Concentrates have anywhere from 50 to 90 percent cannabinoid content.

The exact origins of how this holiday came to be remain a bit hazy, but the date was picked for one simple reason: when you take the number 710, and flip it upside it looks just like the word “OIL”. The first documented 710 celebrations were back in 2012, when Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational cannabis and thus, created The 7/10 Cup to showcase newly permitted concentrate products.

Current 7/10 celebrations consist of concentrate consumption, usually via a popular method referred to as “dabbing”. Concentrates come in many forms such as wax, shatter, and bubble hash, and you can get both THC and CBD varieties. A small amount of concentrate is loaded into a dab rig then heated with a blowtorch.

CBD Day – August 8th

August 8th is celebration of cannabidiol specifically. Although it technically started as a marketing campaign, it’s grown to be nationally recognized as a day to spread awareness about the numerous health benefits of using CBD, arguably one of the most important cannabis holidays. Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive so it’s primarily used in the wellness sector and there is even and FDA-approved medication, Epidiolex, that utilizes CBD as the main ingredient.

Although Epidiolex is only prescribed to patients with a few rare forms of epilepsy, CBD is used to treat a laundry list of different ailments including anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain, nausea, and other neurological disorders.

CBD is legal in all 50 states and, according to a recent Gallup poll, 64 percent of Americans have tried it at least once or have some level of familiarity with it, and 14 percent of people use it regularly. For adults under the age of 35, it is the preferred treatment method for mental health disorders.

Cannabis Holidays – Final Thoughts

Aside from 420, what cannabis holidays will you be celebrating this year? And how do you plan to celebrate? Let us know in the comment section below and make sure to subscribe to The CBD Flowers Weekly Newsletter for exclusive deals on flowers and other products.