Hayley FoxStoners have a lot to celebrate this year. California legalized recreational weed in November, which means it's now, it's legal for adults 21 or older to puff, puff, pass — but only on private property. It's illegal to smoke, vape or consume weed in public, with a few exceptions for private events that are specifically licensed to allow it. You can have up to an ounce of weed or eight grams of cannabis concentrate in your possession at any time, and if over 21, you can also grow up to six marijuana plants indoors.
To purchase weed at a dispensary, you'll still need your doctor's recommendation until Jan. 1, 2018, because that's when shops can start selling recreational products. And please don't toke and drive. While there's no specific barometer set to measure intoxication, it's dangerous, and police can arrest you for it if you're caught driving irresponsibly.
Although Proposition 64 outlines sweeping statewide changes in cannabis law, many of the details were left up to the discretion of local governments. In March, L.A. voters passed Measure M, implementing a system of taxation for cannabis and giving ultimate oversight control to the L.A. City Council. Now in the process of developing a regulatory system for everything from licensing to enforcement, the L.A. City Council approved the creation of a Cannabis Licensing Commission, which will oversee applications for licenses and coordinate inspections and audits.
A lot is still up in the air — including whether the city will legalize weed delivery — but hopes are high for the future of marijuana and in the meantime, there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate on the upcoming 420 holiday. From movie screenings to live music, comedy shows and yoga, here's a whole bunch of ways to ring in the first year of legalized pot on April 20.
It's legal for adults 21 or older to puff, puff, pass — but only on private property.; Credit: Brian Feinzimer
Pete Holmes and the Leafly Comedy Tour — The Regent Theater, downtown
While not your traditional stoner soiree, what better way to spend the designated day-o’-highness than laughing your ass off. Put on by cannabis company Leafly, this night of comedy includes Brandon Wardell, Jade Catta Preta and headliner Pete Holmes, of the You Made It Weird podcast and late-night talk show The Pete Holmes Show. Tickets cost a suitable $4.20, and you can feel good about the purchase because all proceeds go toward Marley Natural’s Rise Up initiative, created to champion the Bob Marley way of social justice, environmentalism and social change. Rise Up will donate the money to the Minority Cannabis Business Association, a nonprofit focused on increasing diversity in the marijuana industry.
HIGH’KE to BURN “Calories” — Echo Mountain Trailhead, Altadena
Kill two birds with one stone by getting your daily exercise in while also celebrating the high holiday. Orchestrated by Daylee Smoker, the hike kicks off at 9 a.m. at Charles Farnsworth Park in Altadena, where “high-kers” will stretch, hydrate and get the low-down on the approximately three-hour adventure. They’ll also have a chance to buy $10 grams of weed prior to setting off on the Echo Mountain Mount Lowe Trail. The trek will include a 2.5-mile hike to a scenic picnic area with a view of the L.A. basin. Here, hikers can refuel with granola bars, prerolled joints and bottles of water. RSVP is required and tickets are $15.
Cannabis Cup 2016; Credit: Ernie Manrique
Cannabis Cup — National Orange Show, San Bernardino
The Holy Grail of 420 activities, this three-day event features everything you could possibly want from a weed celebration. Kicking off Friday, April 21, and running through the weekend, the Cannabis Cup includes an Edibles Village, a Top Chef–style cannabis cooking competition, live grow room and even a topical massage spa. There will, of course, be a litany of weed vendors on site, plus seminars, a food court and doctors ready to “consult” with non–card-carrying attendees. Even if marijuana isn’t your thing, this year’s event features a lineup of big-name musical guests, who may make the trek to the I.E. worth it: Performers include Wu-Tang Clan, The Game, Nas, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Method Man & Redman. One-day general admission passes start at $50.
Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill & Wiz Khalifa — Greek Theatre, Griffith Park
While not billed as a “420” event, the April 20 concert features hip-hop classics who not only like to sing about weed but are known to be big fans of consuming it as well. In fact, Wiz Khalifa has his own strain of weed — Khalifa Kush aka Wiz Khalifa O.G. — and a YouTube series subtly titled “Wiz Khalifa Smoking Weed,” which features him doing just that. Cypress Hill are not only longtime advocates for cannabis and its legalization but they now have their hands deep in the industry with their own chocolate edibles business. All we have to say about Snoop is, well… he’s Snoop. When the weed website Herb published a list of “15 Infamous Songs About Smoking Weed,” Snoop songs claimed four of the spots. Tickets start at $30 and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Dub Club 420 Party! — Echoplex, Echo Park
Although Dub Club is a weekly reggae party at the Echo Park venue — and each Wednesday night its own mini-420 celebration — the event planned for April 19 will have special guests including Jamaican dub musician Jesse Royal and U.K. reggae band Black Slate. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door; ages 21 and older.
Levitate Yoga — Secret Venice location
Starting at 7 p.m., this private event — with the tagline “Come with a yoga mat, leave with a new perspective” — encourages 420 revelers to connect with their spiritual side. In addition to yoga, the evening party will include live entertainment and a spiritual tea ceremony. There will be “edibles, topicals and smokables,” and guests are asked to bring water and their own yoga mat, in addition to wearing comfortable clothes. Medical cards will be checked at the door and the exact location will be released three days before the event. General admission tickets are $40 but the Nirvana VIP Pass, $95, gets you all types of additional swag including a take-home yoga mat and weed-heavy gift bag.
Hopes are high for the future of marijuana; there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate on the upcoming 420 holiday.; Credit: Ernie Manrique
420 Fest — Belasco Theater, downtown
A more traditional stoner fest, this all-night party that goes until 4 a.m. is actually two days after the holiday, on Saturday, April 22. This 18-and-over party includes a lineup of more than 30 DJs and artists on four stages, including a “Temple of Trance.” Tickets are $20 but you have the option of balling out with bottle service if you choose. And never fear, organizers say: “Kandi, Camel Backs [sic], Shorts, Body Suits, Face Masks & Gloves are all OK!”
Screening of Half Baked — The Wiltern, Mid-Wilshire
Written by Dave Chappelle and Dave Chappelle Show co-creator Neal Brennan, Half Baked includes everything you’d expect from a late-’90s stoner flick: an abundance of tie-dye, supersize bongs and appearances by pot pillars like Willie Nelson and Tommy Chong. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is for a 21-and-older crowd. General admission tickets cost the to-be-expected $4.20, but for the $14.20 VIP price, you get a popcorn, line-skipping privileges and reserved seating. If you find yourself drifting off from the movie, there’s plenty of art deco detail to soak up in the 85-year-old theater. Side note: David Crosby is performing at the same location the night before, which is a fitting way to celebrate 420 a day early.
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