4/20 in 2020: How to Celebrate Weed's Biggest Holiday Virtually

It’s safe to say there never has been – and hopefully never will be – an April like April 2020. Unless you’ve just been thawed out from an Austin Powers-esque 40-year deep freeze, you are very aware: we are all living in a drastically, hopefully temporary, new world, one in which our social and civic duty is to stay home and well away from other people.

And while a pandemic storms outside our doors, the stoner’s high holiday is nigh. April 20, 2020 was on tap to be a banner year, with many cannabis companies planning concerts and 4/20 events where pot enthusiasts could blaze in solidarity to celebrate the big day. But not this year. Events throughout the country, like Denver’s 4/20 Cannabis Festival and the Hippie Hill gathering in San Francisco to name but a few, have been canceled to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Had you planned to attend either the Emerald Cup or the National Cannabis Festival? Since both had to cancel their live events, organizers decided to team up to co-host Highstream 420 Festival, which will stream on NugsTV beginning at 4:00 PM EST on 4/20.

Don't worry, you can still catch some awesome 4/20 events and concerts virtually. photo credit

When tuning in, not only will you be in on some soon to be announced speakers and performers, you’ll have an opportunity to donate to some great organizations, like cannabis advocacy nonprofits Americans for Safe Access and the Drug Policy Alliance. And don’t forget to throw in a couple of bucks for Crew Nation, a project from Live Nation to help out event crews currently unemployed due to coronavirus.

Has being quarantined forced you to binge watch Tiger King? Use 4/20 to finally avert your eyes and take in some stoner flicks. There’s no shortage of movies paying homage to reefer, like The Big Lebowski, Easy Rider, Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke, and Dazed and Confused. Or, track down the original Reefer Madness movie from 1936, and see how marijuana prohibition got off to its inauspicious start.

Or you could take in a stoner movie with friends without breaking the six-foot social distance rule. Check out the Google Chrome extension Netflix Party, an extension that syncs video playback and features group chat, so you and your group can enjoy the movie (and your ganja) together.

Watch your favorite stoner shows and movies alongside friends with Netflix Party. photo credit

If you’re looking for content a little more off the beaten path, check out the WeedTube, where instead of falling into a YouTube hole watching baby goats in sweaters, you can instead watch a range of content from CBD Life to Health & Beauty. Of course, you can always check out the PotGuide YouTube channel for some awesome cannabis content, too!

Still want to celebrate 4/20 in a big way? Have a party online and invite all of your friends. There are a lot of video conferencing apps that let you connect with those you love, like Google Hangouts, Zoom, GoTo Meeting, Skype, etc.

Feel free to make it as big, small, themed, or un-themed as you’d like. For those who want to go all out, choose green as a theme: add lights, decorations, cannabis leaves, streamers, or balloons to the background. Another option is to have everyone dress up as their favorite stoner character, or in formal attire. You could also play stoner games like “Never Have I Ever” or “Jamaica Jammin,” which can be played virtually, and bypass the need to share joints or pipes.

Zoom meetings or Skype calls can be a great way to connect with friends on 4/20. photo credit

Even though 4/20 this year will be different than all years preceding, this (un)official holiday is still a great day to connect with friends while practicing social distancing and doing your part to stanch the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay safe, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and under no circumstances should you puff, puff, pass. Happy 4/20!

How are you celebrating 4/20 this year? Share your plans with others in the comments below.