Celebrating Cannabis

If, in walking around your community today, you detect a pungent, herbal-like smell, it may be someone celebrating "4/20 Day," the annual celebration of marijuana users on April 20.  Ryan Grimm has a lengthy article on the origins of "4/20," going back some 45 years to a group of stoners in San Rafael, California taking a weed break after their high school athletic practice at 4:20 in the afternoon.

Public attitudes have shifted on the use of weed, and several states have licensed private distributors for people to purchase personal quantities. President Obama has signaled that  he supports the legalization of medical marijuana.  NORML, the marijuana legalization advocacy group, has a useful map of the U.S. showing where States stand on the spectrum.   As luck would have it, long-time connoisseurs of the magic herb, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard want everyone to know that they have a new song called, "It's All Going To Pot," which may be the new legalization anthem by the time the next 4/20 day rolls around.