Virtual 4/20 Events For The Quarantined Digital Age

By Kim Ring.

The quarantined lifestyle that many are living right now is taking a toll on the population in a variety of ways. As death rates rise and social distancing becomes more prevalent, it’s without a doubt that the majority of our population is affected in some capacity. Amongst several industries that rely heavily on large events and social gatherings, the cannabis community is experiencing a wave of disappointment, particularly in April as the time-honored tradition of 420 approaches.  

The origin story of this high holiday is told in many different ways, but for those pioneers who have been celebrating 420 ever since a group of California high schoolers coined the term in 1971, it’s always been about pushing the envelope in the face of opposition. However, Steve Bloom, the editor of High Times who also helped discover the term, never imagined the day when 420 would snowball into a 100% virtual occasion. “We were just a bunch of Deadheads hanging out in an Oakland parking lot in 1990 when many of us received the now-famous 420 flyer,” said Bloom. 

Bloom published this flyer in High Times, really causing it to catch fire, so to speak. “4/20 will be very personal this year. No gatherings. But the whole idea of the 4/20 holiday is to connect with people all over the world on the same date and at the same time,” Bloom added. Some things don’t change. 

That being said, industry champions know better than to let this special day come and go without as much as a quick puff of a joint. Instead, they’ve decided to practice a little ingenuity and give 420 a virtual facelift with a variety of online events. 

420, party of one, here we go. 

Fairchild’s Chronic Relief

Fairchild, a cannabis events organization in Seattle, aims to bring many of the same aspects of the cannabis tradition to an online platform for this year’s 420 celebrations. Fairchild’s Chronic Relief is a free live-stream event featuring live musical performances and appearances from the industry’s favorite celebrities with an underlying philanthropic cause. All funds raised by the Chronic Relief extravaganza will be donated to Feeding America (501c3). When tuning into the virtual event, viewers can donate through a donation link in real-time and help someone in need.

The Dabvent Calendar

Technology is our main form of communication more so now than ever before, and as this feeling of isolation intensifies, the hours spent staring at our screens are skyrocketing. Things are changing quickly as 420 approaches, but the lives of social media influencers, who spend most of their time in the digital world, remain fairly similar. Several cannabis influencers, such as @Chronicalewinsky, @Bettykrockerbakes and @Taylorbelle have been flaunting a surprise-filled contraption with 20 numbered boxes called a Dabvent Calendar. 

Hosted by Higher Celebrations, a Denver-based cannabis gifting company and creator of Birthjays, this month-long campaign includes 20 different cannabis, CBD or 420-friendly brands that have all pitched in exclusive products to give away with the hopes of bringing a little joy into the lives of the cannabis community. 

See Also: 4/20 Events To Check Out: Peter Tosh, Al Harrington, A Telethon And A Guinness Attempt

“Right now, all of us are craving social interactions and something positive to cling to, so we’re trying to provide a unique avenue for that,” said Michael Scherr, CEO of Higher Celebrations. “My team is used to me coming up with crazy ideas like this, and usually we all get a good laugh before filing it away in the ‘when we have extra time’ folder. But when I pitched this to our Marketing Director, Taylor Starr she knew it was now or never. Dabvent wouldn’t have seen the light of day if it wasn’t for all of her hard work to inspire the influencers to participate just for the hell of it, and brands to donate product in the name of good old-fashioned collaboration.”

Each day in April leading up to the 20th will bring a new surprise from brands such as Dip Devices, Sweetwater Brewery, DabCap Co., What Do You Meme, Bee-Nails, and many more. One particularly relevant product in the Dabvent Calendar comes from Moose Labs, a Los Angeles-based company known for its silicone MouthPeace. The MouthPeace is a germ-free personal device that tokers can use to prevent spreading their germs if they plan to share joints or bongs with friends. Sales have spiked over the past several months as sanitation concerns rise among smokers. The device also comes with triple layer activated carbon filters that remove resins, contaminants, and tar from every puff to reduce coughing. 

The 308K collective followers of the influencers, all of the loyal consumers of the brands involved, and really anyone privy to Instagram will have a chance to win a special giveaway. Head over to the Higher Celebrations Instagram handle, @Birthjays for details on how to enter. 

Highstream 420 Festival

A few of America’s largest ticketed cannabis gatherings are still hoping to generate buzz by shifting gears to an online platform. The National Cannabis Festival was originally set for April 19th in Washington D.C., but due to the recent events, it’s been moved to September 19th, 2020. Instead of making their loyal fans twiddle their thumbs until September, they instead joined forces with the world’s largest commercial outdoor cannabis contest, The Emerald Cup, to host the HighStream 420 Festival. The steaming event is benefiting marijuana policy reform organizations, such as Drug Policy Alliance and Americans for Safe Access, in addition to Crew Nation, a global relief fund for live music crews who are out of work due to the pandemic. 

See Also: Two More 4/20 Events To Check Out: The Miss Grass Summit, 'LoveFest' On iHeartRadio

“We are very excited to launch this coast-to-coast benefit supporting those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Caroline Phillips, Founder of the National Cannabis Festival in a press release. “Not only are we raising money to support amazing nonprofit groups, but we’re also providing folks with much needed entertainment and encouraging them to stay safe and stay inside.”  

The HighStream 420 Festival is featuring musical performances, online workshops, and interactive panels. To access this free online broadcast experience, tune into NUGS.TV from 4pm-10pm EDT on April 20th.  

Lightshade’s Virtual 420 Party

Lightshade, a vertically integrated Denver-based dispensary has been holding off on 420 celebrations over the past several years, but they are pulling out all the stops to boost morale this year. Lightshade’s Virtual 420 Party is featuring several of Colorado’s up-and-coming artists, such as Grammy considered artist, SF1, and TEDxBoulder featured artist, Kid Astronaut. 

An embedded Venmo account will be easily accessible throughout the live event to encourage attendees to donate to funds supporting service industry workers or other charitable organizations such as the American Red Cross.

In addition to raising funds for COVID-19 relief, the event will also provide some much needed comic relief. Viewers can tune in to witness stand-up from Denver comedian Sam Clark whose comedy special premiered last year on Amazon Prime’s Laugh After Dark series. For those who are already tired of their usual home-cooked cooked meals while in quarantine, former Chopped winner David Hadley will be spicing things up a bit. Hadley is a Colorado local chef who has worked in several Michelin star restaurants across the globe.

Overall, 420 might no be the month-long hooplah we planned for in 2020. According to Steve Bloom, “The world is changing and we need to change with it. If it means less smoking and no sharing, so be it. But 420 will always be in our hearts. We know it stands for freedom and justice and the American way.” 

So even though many of us will be spending this cannabis holiday literally couch-locked,  it will certainly be one that we’ll never forget. 

Lead image by Ilona Szentivanyi. Copyright: Benzinga.

The preceding article is from one of our external contributors. It does not represent the opinion of Benzinga and has not been edited.