Welcome to West Hollywood. A city with more cannabis locations per square mile than any other. And today is April 20, the official stoner day. For smokers, vapers, and cannabis aficionado’s 4/20 is a day to kick back and celebrate weed and its decriminalization.
There are many tales of where the term 420 originated. According to Mary Walrath-Holdridge in an article printed for the USA today she explains: In the early ’70s, five students at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California would meet outside of the school after extracurricular activities had ended for the day. The group, eventually called the Wall-do’s simply for the fact they met by a wall to do their thing, made their official meeting time 4:20 p.m. and eventually started using 420 as code for smoking.
One of the Waldo members, Dave Reddix, later got work as a roadie for the Grateful Dead, and the band helped to popularize the term, he told Time. Specifically, a flyer distributed by a group of Oakland Deadheads in December 1990 inviting people to smoke on April 20 at 4:20 p.m. did the trick.
A reporter at High Times magazine got hold of the flyer and printed it in 1991, bringing it to the attention of cannabis fans across state lines. The magazine continued to use the term in future publications, solidifying its place in popular vernacular.
Steve Bloom, the “High Times” reporter who originally received the flyer, later credited the Waldos for originating the term, you can read about it here, https://www.ktvu.com/news/420-origins-traced-to-san-rafaels-waldos “…they wanted people all over the world to get together on one day each year and collectively smoke pot at the same time. They birthed the idea of a stoner holiday, which April 20 has become.”
West Hollywood pioneered a cannabis licensing process that would limit licenses to 8 per category, adult retail, medical, consumption, delivery and legacy cannabis operators. The process was inteneded to be inclusive and have a West Hollywood resident as a ‘social equity partner’. These cannabis businesses were not suppose to be allowed to ‘transfer ownership’, and in addition if one of the licensed operators failed to operate within the time limits set forth in the ordinance the next applicant on the list would have the opportunity. But in reality, there is little evidence of any social equity profits distributed to benefit West Hollywood, there have been multiple transfers of licenses to celebrities and applicants who failed to open their businesses within the specified time limits who sold their licenses instead of giving the next person on the list a chance to open. Here is a list of top scoring cannabis applications for your reference. https://www.weho.org/home/showpublisheddocument/39873/636880906111230000
There were hundreds of applicants for a cannabis license in West Hollywood. Applications fees alone were $10,000 per category and the City of West Hollywood collected over 4 million dollars in application fees from over 300 applicants. The whole process was flawed, in my opinion.
But there are deals all around town and we would like to highlight “The Woods” one cannabis facility that is rich is social equity. One of the owners Jay Handel is an active member of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce by day and in his off time dedicates his energy to homeless services among other noble causes. The Woods offers great specials every day of the week. Monday is edible day, half off the second, Tuesday is a half off your second item, Wednesday is buy 2 1/8’s and get the 3rd fee, Thursday is drink day, half off your second drink, Feel good friday is half off any pill, tincture of concentrate, Speedy Saturday is 2 pre-rolls and 3rd one half off, and Sunday funday is half off your second vape. The Woods is located on Santa Monica Blvd. just east of Sweetzer.
Urbn Leaf is the first and only cannabis dispensary on the Sunset Strip. Owned by Statehouse Holdings they are the manufacturers and resellers of many brands sold at the other dispensaries such as Fuzzies, Loudpack, King Pen, King Roll, Dimebag, Harborside, Harborside Farms, KEY, Terpene Station, Sublime, and Urbn Leaf. But they also carry premium brands such as Heirloom by CBX that is not available at the other dispensaries in town. Urbn Leaf West Hollywood is located on Sunset just east of La Cienega with plenty of free parking. But the special of the day is a membership card that cost $42 and gives you 40% off all your weed until September.
Most of the dispensaries around town are offering 420 specials and goodie bags, – but take note, some promotions are not what they appear to be. Off the Charts has a billboard on Santa Monica that says 50% off your return visit. But in reality you only get the discount once and not if you return a second time. Artist Tree is quite popular but its hard to keep up with their specials because they change the dates of the week each month and the discounts change too.
So celebrate April 20th! 420 day. It’s also Husband Appreciation Day, Lima Bean Respect Day, National Cold Brew Day, National Upside down Pineapple Cake Day, Record Store Day, and Volunteer Appreciation Day. It’s a great day to Party!
It should be called “loser day”.
Wow, how did your big brain come up with that clever remark?