It’s April 20 — the international cannabis holiday — and Cannabis Culture is proud to invite you to join us in celebration from coast to coast! Whether you’re in Niagara Falls or Vancouver, we’ve got unforgettable events lined up to honour the culture, community, and long fight for freedom that 4/20 represents.
What is 4:20? And Who Invented 4/20?
The term “4:20” originated in 1971 when a group of high school students known as The Waldos in San Rafael, California began using “4:20 Louis” as a code to meet up after school to search for a legendary abandoned cannabis grow. The term was eventually shortened to just “4:20” — and thanks to the Grateful Dead and High Times magazine, it spread around the world as a symbol of stoner unity.
But it was Cannabis Culture activists who turned 4:20 into April 20 — the global cannabis holiday we know today.
Just across the street from the Cannabis Culture building in Vancouver, young activists began organizing protest smoke-ins and rallies in the early 1990s. The first official 4/20 rally took place at Victory Square on April 20, 1995 — organized by activists at Hempology 101 and Hemp BC, the historic cannabis shop that eventually became Cannabis Culture.
The 4/20 holiday was born not just as a party — but as an act of protest and community organizing, demanding cannabis freedom for everyone, including youth, patients, and small growers. Read more about the origins of 4/20 in this incredible article by David Malmo-Levine.
Over the years the party grew to a massive Protestival organized by Cannabis Culture, moving to Vancouver’s downtown Art Gallery and then to Sunset Beach – where over 100,000 people showed up to celebrate while music acts like Cypress Hill, Funkdoobiest and members of The Wu-Tang Clan showed up to perform.
Come Celebrate With Us!
Cannabis Culture Vancouver 4/20 Party
Come party above the pot block at our Cannabis Culture Lounge and HIGH SCORE retro video game lounge (2nd floor, 303 W Hastings). From 2pm ‘til late, we’re celebrating the cannabis community with live hip-hop, freestyle cyphers, and plenty of smoke-filled vibes.
Click here for more info on CC Vancouver’s 4/20.
Cannabis Culture Niagara 4/20 Party
Our brand-new Cannabis Culture Niagara Falls location (5927 Thorold Stone Road) is throwing its first ever 4/20 bash — and it’s gonna be lit! Join us for a trivia, bingo, comedy, prizes and special guests from the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance. Attendance is free, so come check out our beautiful new space, meet fellow cannabis lovers, and celebrate the day in style.
Click here for more info on CC Niagara Falls’s 4/20.
Wherever you are this 4/20, remember — cannabis is culture. And this day belongs to all of us: artists, activists, growers, patients, and everyone who’s helped build this movement over the decades.
Light one up for liberty, and from all of us at Cannabis Culture: Happy 4/20!
