- Stoners regard today as Christmas Day for weed.
If you’re weed smoker, chances are that you already know what the rest of us non-stoners don’t know: today April 20th is 4/20 when the art of smoking marijuana is celebrated. It’s been called Christmas Day for weed smokers by some people and with good reason-social media has been inundated with posts like these:
Don’t celebrate 420 if u not a stoner
— Josh (@aubreyojoshu) April 20, 2017
You can’t call your self dope if you haven’t bagged one #420
— Kay See (@kelechsky) April 20, 2017
Kalakuta today! happy 420 everyone!!
— #94AndKinging (@GeorgexTunez) April 20, 2017
#420 is now trending in Nigeriahttps://t.co/JJMeKuyPwWpic.twitter.com/tPfCPScR5K
— Trendsmap Nigeria (@TrendsNigeria) April 20, 2017
In some places in the United States where smoking it is legal, today is a big day with parades and marches and parties. It doesn’t exempt other places however; as you can see 420 has been trending in Nigeria all day.
So what exactly is it? For one it is the American way of writing today’s date: April 20. But beyond that, it’s a day that smokers of the herb (marijuana, Mary Jane, kush, cannabis, weed, skunk, pot, blunt or what ever name it’s called by aficionados) have chosen to celebrate the act.
The origin goes back to 1971 when a group of American high school students gathered at 4:20pm everyday to roll it, light it, puff it, pass it. Soon the group, who called themselves The Waldos, began using 420 as a shorthand for smoking weed. The gist spread, 4.20pm became known as the perfect time for smoking weed, and the number 420 became synonymous with marijuana.
Proponents of the weed cause present it as a harmless activity that only relaxes the smoker and is less dangerous than drinking alcohol. However the World Health Organization has stated that smoking marijuana has short and long term health implications that are simply not worth the ‘benefits’.
Right now across the world, there are several celebrations going on in honour of weed. Last year at the University of Colorado, 10,000 people gathered to smoke simultaneously. Hyde Park in London too is set to host a 42o Rally.
While there are some medical cases where marijuana is used as treatment; in Nigeria weed is an illegal drug, even if young people are increasingly more open about their love for smoking. Officers of the Nigerian Police Force may also indulge in it (policemen have been seen in places where weed is sold and smoked); Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency have agents that go on random patrols to pick up stoners. You’ve been warned.
Source – TheNetNG
