San Francisco's annual 4/20 celebration at Golden Gate Park's Hippie Hill may have been officially canceled for a second year, but that didn't stop cannabis aficionados from gathering in the famed park to mark the informal high holiday. The event saw individuals lighting up and soaking in the spring weather, reveling in the laid-back, relaxed atmosphere that has become a hallmark of the day's festivities, as reported by NBC Bay Area.
While the city had decided to pull the plug on the official event last year due to budget constraints, according to CBS News, attendees like Mark Saverioni, told that "every day is 4/20 because I smoke marijuana every day," found solace in the smaller scale of the gathering, and it was noted that there were "not so many people where you're stepping over people just to get by," fostering a more organic vibe free from fences, gates, and the previously common major corporate presence.
In place of the official festivities, San Francisco partnered up with Volo Sports to offer free recreational activities at Robin Williams Meadow, which had cannabis users joining peacefully; Luis Rodriguez, Volo Sports' managing director, remarked on the positive co-existence, "It's amazing the fact that we're able to make this work and co-exist with another community that loves to come here and celebrate a different activity," as per CBS News. Moreover, with San Francisco's cannabis sales industry seeing a decline of about 20% since 2021, the turnout for these informal celebrations suggests a persistent dedication to the cannabis culture in the city.
