Stoners Still Gathered at Hippie Hill for 4/20 Celebration Despite Event Cancellation

Although the official city-sanctioned 4/20 celebration on Hippie Hill in San Francisco was canceled this year, it still attracted thousands of people to gather on the holiday.

According to a report from SFGate, whose representatives spoke with some of the attendees, the cancellation didn’t hinder anyone’s plans. Jessica Leung told SFGate that she was excited to be there and surprised by the amount of people who still showed up. “4/20 is my favorite holiday,” Leung said.

The lower part of the hill was roped off with chains to host a “Peace, Love and Volo Field Day,” free event, inviting people to play cornhole, kickball, and volleyball. The upper part of the hill was deemed the “spectator area” for fans to chill on the lawn in the sun. Other vendors attended as well, selling art portraits and various other goods. Food trucks were also in attendance, which led to long lines.

Past city-sanctioned 4/20 celebrations at Hippie Hill included on-site portable toilets, medical support, and an increase in hired staff. Even though the official event was canceled, the city was still able to provide portable restrooms and San Francisco Recreation and Parks staff to patrol the area.

Some attendees commented on the people’s drive to celebrate. One longtime 4/20 celebrator, Chandra Edelstein, said that there was more freedom at this year’s event now that it had less city restrictions. “I expected it to be packed,” said Edelstein. “People still flock here and the energy is amazing.”

Another visitor, Alex Diaz, added that they planned to be there regardless of city involvement. “We’re out here to have a good time, and not expecting anything,” Diaz said.

Attendee Dalano Rhyne said that she prefers this year’s “scaled-down” version of the event. “I’m here I’m doing my own thing … so I’m having a good day and this was blank when I got here, so that’s a great day,” Rhyne said as she put together a cardboard art installation featuring signatures and drawings from other attendees.

Steve Banuelos and his group of longtime friends said they were hesitant to attend after the event cancellation, but decided to go anyway because “it may turn out to be something.” “Well, we’re all retired now, so what the hell else are we going to do with our time?” Banuelos said.

The 2023 Hippie Hill event was a massive gathering, which featured Erykah Badu as grand marshal and instructed attendees to “Put your weed in the air” at 4:20pm. “For a lot of us, this is our medicine,” Badu said. “This shit is here to take you to a higher place.”

Last year’s event also featured a “King of Z Hill” competition pitting growers against each other for the title of best weed and best concentrates. “Some of the most exotic flavors in the world come out of the West Coast right here in San Francisco,” said King of Z Hill organizer, Brandon Parker.

One competitor, SoCal Dank’s Joe Evans, explained that competitions like King of Z Hill aren’t about winning, but networking with others. This certainly attests to the evolution of the cannabis industry over the years, and the stark differences between the 2023 and 2024 Hippie Hill events.

This year’s Hippie Hill event cancellation was announced on March 25, citing city budget cuts and a lack of sponsors. However, the organizers did confirm that the sponsored event should be returning in 2025.

The cancellation paved the way for other celebratory events to take the spotlight. SF Weed Week held its inaugural event, celebrating 4/20 in a variety of ways through the week leading up to 4/20. SF Weed Week founding advisor, Ben Grambergu, explained the importance of spotlighting local growers. “The organizers of Hippie Hill deserved a break, and SF Weed Week is here to extend the celebration across the entire city with the best cultivators in the world sharing their gift with the most dedicated enthusiasts in the world,” said Grambergu. “Look, the Bay Area has and always will be an epicenter of cannabis culture. SF Weed Week is proving to the doom loop haters that the scene is thriving. With a week full of incredible activations, world-class cannabis, and meet and greets with the rockstars who produced it; this event has something for everyone.”

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art recently put up a new display at its gift shop to sell ceramic bongs. Each of the pieces are part of a collection called Weed’d, which are beautiful display-worthy items ranging between $50-$195. According to museum store buyer Camille Verboort, they chose this selection of bongs because they offered “sculptural quality and bold primary colors.”

Verboort added that since the museum features alcohol-related items, it’s time for them to also feature cannabis-related items as well. “We currently sell bar items quite well and, this being San Francisco, thought we could make room for cannabis accessories if we found designs that made sense for us,” Verboort said.

Weed’d is created by Italian designers who sought to “challenge the traditional narrative” and stigma often associated with bongs. One designer, Maddalena Casadei, shared that she had never used a bong before, which allowed her to experiment with the design process. ‘“The round shapes go along with the softness of the experience of using it. It is in fact designed to give pleasure through touch as well,” Casadei said.

The post Stoners Still Gathered at Hippie Hill for 4/20 Celebration Despite Event Cancellation appeared first on High Times.

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‘Star Wars’ Blue Milk Released from Multiple Brands Ahead of May the 4th

“Babe, you OK? You barely touched your Star Wars blue milk.”  May the 4th is National Star Wars Day, and dairy companies are releasing blue milk inspired by an old mystery: the weird inclusion of the blue drink in the franchise’s first film.

Kemps dairy and chocolate milk-maker TruMoo are among the brands launching limited edition lines of blue milk. It’s a great way to tackle the munchies, perhaps with some cereal or with some Oreos.

The iconic, infamous drink that was first introduced in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. In the original film, Luke Skywalker sips blue Bantha milk with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru Lars, who are moisture farmers on the desert planet of Tatooine. A Bantha is a quadrupedal mammal on Tatooine that kind of looks like a yak with spiraled horns.

They actually have blue Bantha milk on tap: There’s a deleted scene in which Aunt Beru pours a glass of the blue milk from one of three spouts. It’s one of their last acts before being scorched by Imperial stormtroopers. When the stormtroopers fail to find the droids they’re after, they torch Luke’s aunt and uncle instead. In the story, the blue milk is one of Luke’s last encounters with his aunt and uncle before their deaths.

Now you can get your own blue milk, in multiple flavors. However it’s not Bantha milk, just old-fashioned cow milk with food coloring. Kemps’ version of the blue milk has a vanilla flavor.

“Entering the atmosphere near you—for a limited time only—Kemps Blue Milk. The Star Wars rebels in your life will love this low-fat, vanilla flavored milk,” the company posted on X, formerly Twitter.

TruMoo is also releasing their own version of the blue drink. “Coming to a galaxy near you mid-April,” TruMoo posted on X.

In Star Wars universe, milk comes in multiple colors. The newer installation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, older Luke drinks green milk that’s produced by female thala-sirens during his self-imposed exile on Ach-To.

Defining Blue Milk

In the film series, blue Bantha milk comes in many varieties, including an alcoholic version, Star Wars superfans have clarified. 

“Blue milk, also known as Bantha milk, was a rich blue-colored milk produced by female banthas,” Wookiepedia explains. “Sentients drank it, and also used it in Bantha butter, blue Bantha buttermilk biscuits, blue-milk cheese, blue milk custard, ice cream, and yogurt. It was notably available on Outer Rim planets such as Batuu, Lah’mu, Lothal, and Tatooine. Cid’s Parlor on Ord Mantell served a similar beverage that was alcoholic called Dark Blue Milk.”

One commenter, Marina E. De León, PhD, CNC, posted that blue milk already exists, since 2021. She provided a link showing a microbial, beneficial soy milk that is naturally colored by bacteria.

Throughout the films, blue symbolizes the good side of the Force, such as in the color of Luke’s lightsaber, and red symbolizes evil.

According to Reader’s Digest, May the 4th became a part of Star Wars lore in 1979. England’s conservative party, the Tories, used the motto after Margaret Thatcher won the election to become the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, on May 4, 1979. 

The Tories paid for a newspaper ad that stated, “May the Fourth be with you, Maggie. Congratulations.” Thatcher’s infamous, shocking comments about cannabis are an entirely different story.

“It wasn’t until the early 2000s that the Star Wars holiday became much more in the public eye, due to the fact that fans were using it constantly on social media,” said Dan Madsen, founder of the Official Lucasfilm/Star Wars Fan Club and founder and former publisher of Star Wars Insider magazine.

Star Wars Strains to Combine with Milk

In 2020, High Times posted nine cannabis strains that are inspired by Star Wars.

The list includes Skywalker, a popular cross between Blueberry and Mazar.

“This indica is perfect for reducing anxiety, relaxing without leaving you tied to the couch,” the review reads, as translated from Spanish. “It is also used to combat other conditions, such as minor pain, insomnia or depression. It is ideal to enjoy at the end of a long and exhausting day. Its aroma is sweet and earthy, similar to a blueberry field. Resilient like all the members of the Skywalker clan, this strain developed by Dutch Passion is considerably easy to grow, particularly indoors.”

Other strains include Darth Vader OG (Afghani x Kush), Lightsaber (Starfighter x Predator Pink), Princess Leia (Cinderella 99 x Lemon Alien Dawg), Death Star (Sensi Star x Sour Diesel) Ewok (Albert Walker x Tahoe Alien), Yoda OG (Kush OG blend), Jedi Kush (Death Star x San Fernando Valley OG Kush), and Star Killer (Mazar x Blueberry OG with Rare Dankness). 

The addition of blue Star Wars-inspired milk is a fun way to celebrate May the 4th.

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States With Legal Weed See Increase in College Applications

States where recreational marijuana has been made legal are seeing upticks in college applications, including from elite students. 

That is the takeaway of a study published late last year in the peer-reviewed journal Contemporary Economic Policy. 

“Using a two-way fixed effects difference-in-differences model, we investigate the effects of local recreational marijuana (RMJ) policy changes on college applications and find that the three largest state public schools reaped, on average, an almost 54% increase in applications,” the authors of the study said in the abstract. 

Recreational cannabis is currently legal for adults in 24 states and the District of Columbia, according to Pew Research Center. It is also legal in the U.S. territories of the U.S. British Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. According to Pew, which cited census data, “more than half of Americans (54%) live in a state where both recreational and medical marijuana are legal, and 74% live in a state where it’s legal either for both purposes or medical use only.” 

“About eight-in-ten Americans (79%) live in a county with at least one cannabis dispensary, according to the February analysis. There are nearly 15,000 marijuana dispensaries nationwide, and 76% are in states (including D.C.) where recreational use is legal. Another 23% are in medical marijuana-only states, and 1% are in states that have made legal allowances for low-percentage THC or CBD-only products,” Pew explained. “The states with the largest number of dispensaries include California, Oklahoma, Florida, Colorado and Michigan.”

Pew also noted that Americans’ attitudes toward marijuana use have shifted dramatically since 2012, when Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational pot use.

“Around nine-in-ten Americans say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use, according to a January 2024 Pew Research Center survey. An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults (88%) say either that marijuana should be legal for medical use only (32%) or that it should be legal for medical and recreational use (57%). Just 11% say the drug should not be legal in any form. These views have held relatively steady over the past five years,” Pew explained.

The wave of legalization has, apparently, had an effect on college admissions. 

According to the study published in Contemporary Economic Policy, the increase in applications “does not appear to come solely from low-ability students as both first and third quartiles of admitted student composite SAT scores to the largest three public schools do not decrease.”

“Rather, they both increase by almost 3.8% though these estimates are not statistically significant. Robust difference-in-difference and event study models support the signs and magnitudes of these gains and show they diminish over time,” the authors of the study wrote. 

The outlet PsyPost, which published analysis of the college applications study by one of the researchers, reported that in “the year that a particular state legalized recreational marijuana, the number of applications for that state’s colleges grew by about 5.5% more than colleges in states that did not legalize.” 

“This means that colleges in legal-marijuana states received a temporary boost in applications. We didn’t detect any increase beyond the initial spike. Our results control for school quality, tuition prices and labor market conditions that may affect student application decisions,” the researcher wrote. 

“As researchers continue to assess the risks and rewards of recreational marijuana, our results show that institutions of higher learning benefit when their home states allow their citizens to get high. One benefit is that schools had a larger and higher-achieving applicant pool to choose from. This in turn creates the potential to improve a school’s academic profile,” wrote the author, Christopher Blake.

“Our results fit into a larger body of research analyzing what affects a student’s application choices. We found that, similar to how schools see a spike in applications and SAT scores when those schools have winning sports teams, schools see spikes when they are located in states that legalize marijuana. While our data cannot prove it explicitly, this suggests that students do factor local policies into their college choice, a key result of interest for scholars and policymakers alike.”

But Blake also acknowledged some limitations to the research.

“Our data cannot pinpoint why freshmen who are often coming straight out of high school – and thus not of legal age (21) to buy recreational marijuana – might base their application decisions on recreational marijuana’s availability,” he wrote. “It could be the case that legal sales create a perception for prospective applicants that underage consumption is less risky. It could be simply because widespread news coverage made certain states seem more popular. Or it could be because more permissive public policies in one area, such as marijuana laws, might suggest more attractive and liberalized policies in other areas important to students, such as abortion. It’s hard to say without talking directly to students themselves.”

He added, “We also don’t know how much of the application boosts that occur after legalization are being driven by out-of-state students. For example, did legalization in Colorado cause students from other states to apply to Colorado schools in higher numbers? Alternatively, in-state students may have elected to apply to even more Colorado schools than they would have in the absence of recreational marijuana as a way to stay in their home state.”

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Illinois Governor Cites Cannabis Reform While Campaigning for Biden

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker took to the campaign trail over the weekend to stump for President Joseph Biden, taking advantage of the 420 weed high holiday as an opportunity to tout the cannabis policy reforms made by the current administration. At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, Pritzker said that cannabis policy reform can have significant economic benefits in states that legalize marijuana for adults.

“I wanted to come up here on 4/20, because we, too, legalized cannabis in the state of Illinois, and I know that’s been a boon to not only state revenues but also to business and job creation in the state of Michigan,” said Pritzker, according to a report from Michigan Advance.

“To be blunt: we’re proud to have sparked a new industry when we legalized adult-use cannabis,” the governor added on X in a 420 tweet.

Joined by Michigan Democratic state Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, Pritzker said that legalizing marijuana in Michigan was just one of many Democratic victories in the state since 2018.

“You all have turned a state that was — let’s face it, a red state — into a purple state, and now a blue state,” Pritzker told the crowd. “There are so many other states in the country that should be following Michigan’s lead.”

The Illinois governor added that the progress made in Michigan did not come easy, encouraging the public to volunteer for the campaign and canvass voters to get out the Democratic message.

“It’s like the eighth-grade dance, for me, anyway. Sometimes you have to knock on three or four doors before you get somebody you can really talk to,” Pritzker said. “Because you’re willing to do that, you’re going to have somebody to dance with. You’re going to bring them to the dance.”

Biden Administration Reviewing Federal Weed Policy

In 2022, Biden issued an executive order pardoning thousands of low-level marijuana convictions and directed his administration to review the federal prohibition of cannabis. In August 2023, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine called on the Drug Enforcement Administration to change the classification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Under the 1970 legislation, the Schedule I classification indicates that a drug has no accepted medical value and a high propensity for abuse. Other drugs currently listed under Schedule I include heroin and LSD.

In January, the Department of Health and Human Services determined that marijuana is eligible for the less strict classification under federal drug laws, according to agency documents. As part of the review, researchers with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that credible evidence shows that marijuana has legitimate medical uses and fits the criteria for rescheduling under the Controlled Substances Act.

At his Grand Rapids campaign stop, Pritzker noted that Biden is also busy supporting his bid for reelection against former president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. The president spent much of last week campaigning in the battleground state of Pennsylvania and will be making additional stops to help secure the “blue wall” of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, three states that voted for Trump in 2016 but then switched to Biden four years later.

“Democrats need to win the blue wall states. It’s vitally important, and Joe Biden knows it,” Pritzker said. “One of the reasons we’re having the Democratic National Convention here in the Midwest is because he recognizes how important this is.”

“Michigan sits in the middle,” he added. “If we don’t win Michigan, we can’t win the presidency. And if we don’t win Michigan, this country is going to go backwards.” 

Pritzker referred to criticisms that both frontrunners are too old to be elected, arguing that Biden’s experience and character are attributes that will help him in office while suggesting that Trump is uncaring.

“People sometimes say Joe Biden’s old. But Donald Trump has proven that you can be old and not learn anything,” said Pritzker. “You can be old without having learned, throughout the course of your life, empathy for people across the United States. And that is Joe Biden; he wears empathy on his sleeve.”

Pritzker acknowledged that last week, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy won his bid to be added to the Michigan ballot for the general election in November. But the governor said he was not concerned that Kennedy would be a spoiler candidate that takes votes away from the current president.

“There’s only one candidate on the ballot who can win and beat Donald Trump, and that’s Joe Biden,” Pritzker said. “I don’t think having ballot access for Robert Kennedy is going to change the fact that people are going to go into the voting booths and know that they’re throwing away their vote if they vote Robert Kennedy, and that if they vote for Joe Biden they’re assuring that we’re not going to have Donald Trump as president.”

Pritzker continued his support for the president’s reelection campaign on Sunday, leaning into his belief that Kennedy’s candidacy would not hurt Biden.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being on the ballot in Michigan, I think is going to have a little effect on the ultimate result,” Pritzker said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” according to a report from The Hill. “People understand that there are really only two candidates that have a path to victory in this country and in Michigan. And, of course, that’s Joe Biden and Donald Trump.”

Both major political parties have yet to make their choice for president official. The GOP will meet at the Republican Convention being held in Milwaukee in July to nominate the party’s candidate for president, while Democrats will choose their nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.

The post Illinois Governor Cites Cannabis Reform While Campaigning for Biden appeared first on High Times.

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Roll Easy and Burn Slow With Al Capone

Al Capone is a towering name in the business of smoking. For over two decades now, the well-respected brand has delivered consistently and earned more trust among consumers – and cannabis connoisseurs – thanks to their flavorful wraps. In particular with their Leaf Wraps, cannabis smokers can enjoy an especially good, sometimes tasty high. 

Al Capone hit the smoking scene in 1996 with their premium cigarillos. In the 28 years since then, it’s almost impossible to go into a respectable smoke shop or liquor store without seeing the brand’s name prominently featured behind the register. When people buy Al Capone, they know they’re getting the good stuff – a natural tobacco leaf hand-rolled and crafted to excellence. 

In short, it’s a reliable brand.

Seven years ago, the company expanded with their Al Capone Leaf Wraps. They were meticulously crafted with a slow burn and ease-of-use in mind, ensuring consistency. Moreover, the pre-cut, double leaf layer includes a self-sealing sugar strip, eliminating any concerns. This means you can enjoy your smoke without fretting over your rolling skills; the double-bonded self-stick cellulose/sugar strips ensures a perfectly sealed blunt every time. There is no need to worry about a sloppy or insufficient lick. Simply follow the quick and easy method of 1) Roll, 2) Pull, and 3) Stick. This makes a mellow smoking experience all the more mellow. 

The Wraps were originally the only double-bonded self-sealing wraps available on the market, too, so they came out of the gate connecting with smokers immediately. There is nothing flimsy about these Leafs; they’re light yet strong.

There are three distinct flavors to these Leaf Wraps – the Original, Cognac, and Rum. Original for a natural taste. Cognac for soft malty notes. Rum for mellow with hints of fruit. Always fresh without any thick veins, a box of these babies keeps each Wrap in an individual pouch ensuring a consistence in quality and stretchiness. For now obvious reasons, last year all three flavors were on the Top 10 Best Selling Wraps in the United States (MSAi 2023 data).

Courtesy Al Capone

There is not an ounce of artificial sweetness or pesky chemicals, only pure tobacco, and the flavor of the earth. If anyone wants a little extra kick, though, obviously Cognac and Rum is the road to go down. The taste and smell are authentic. Thankfully, never too strong on either front, either. The flavors will not ever overwhelm the taste and smell of the flower. Consider the flavors just stronger as an added bonus – a nice alcoholic cherry on the top, so to speak. At their best, they just make a smoking session fuller and more flavorful. Whatever your flavor of choice, the result is tasteful, not tacky. 

Often when you see flavored rolls, well, they lay it on a bit too thick, the result is a bit garish, and it kind of dampens the experience. That is not the case with Al Capone, especially with the original flavor. It’s not remotely bland, just earthy, and smooth.

These flavored Leaf Wraps pair especially well with a tasty beverage or meal. Whatever the experience, a solo smoke session or enjoying a feast with friends, these Leaf Wraps are a low-key enhancer of said experience. Al Capone prides itself on the freedom for smokers to incorporate their products however they want. 

“Real, not perfect,” the company boasts.

Courtesy Al Capone

These Leaf Wraps are cared for since day one of their farming. The seeds, the growing, the maintenance, all of it, top-notch across the board. Al Capone purifies their water for the finest growth conditions and only uses all-natural soil. The leaves are then air-cured for the best flavor and color, then hand-picked for the ultimate test of premium quality. By the end of the process, only the best-of-the-best leaves are chosen to hit the market. Hand-picked, mind you.

The above is important for the simple reason that there is a tangibility to an Al Capone Leaf Wrap. As consumers, we know when something is mass produced by a machine or carefully handled by skilled individuals. Sometimes it’s a gut feeling and ya just know when you see it or, in this case, smoke it.

From the inception to the ingestion, Al Capone is more personal for a mass market brand. At such a high commercial level, Al Capone has an independent spirit about them. Whatever the flavor, when smoking one of these Leaf Wraps, the passion is always there behind the construction.

Above all else, it’s just a damn fine way to smoke your cannabis. Roll the REAL way with Al Capone’s All Natural Tobacco Leaf Wraps.

Follow Al Capone on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Additionally, an online store locator is available on their website. 

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