Cannabis Activism Will Be Baked Into This Year's 4/20 Events

Cannabis royalty like Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa and Bam Marley are set to appear at the upcoming Weedmaps virtual event to celebrate April 20, the most revered day on the calendar for cannabis aficionados. But the online party, dubbed Even Higher Together as a sequel to 2020’s Higher Together, adds a new element this year, aimed at schooling audiences about the failed war on drugs and its disproportionate impact on communities of color. Moderated by rapper and activist Talib Kweli, the “Last Prison Project Justice Session” will include ways for viewers to get involved in the fight to free those imprisoned for cannabis offenses and help them reenter society. The mini-conference is in line with Weedmaps’ goal of helping to build an equitable cannabis industry, according to Juanjo Feijoo, CMO of Weedmaps. It’s also an emerging trend in 2021’s activations around the unofficial holiday, with Willie Nelson’s famed Luck Reunion stretching from its previous one day to 10 days of entertainment and activism, including a multi-day summit with HeadCount’s Cannabis Voter Project. Marijuana is a herb and a flower. God put it here. What gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?Willie Nelson “We asked ourselves how we could make this meaningful beyond being just a good time,” said Matt Bizer, cofounder of production company Luck Presents. Nelson added in a statement: “I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is a herb and a flower. God put it here. What gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?” Meanwhile, the country music icon, whose Willie's Reserve is a legacy player in celebrity-backed weed, has spearheaded a Change.org petition asking the Biden administration and Congress to declare “high holidays” around 4/20 and his birthday on April 29. "Anchoring in the message of social justice" Executives at Weedmaps, which counted more than 260,000 viewers of “Higher Together,” said they intended to create a more diverse and dynamic event this year, with an eye on timely topics like the decriminalization movement. They designed the program with both cannabis connoisseurs and newbies in mind. “We feel very strongly about anchoring in the message of social justice because people may not necessarily know all the history here,” Feijoo told Adweek. “Along with the celebration part, we’re taking advantage of the educational opportunity.” In addition to the advocacy, “Even Higher Together” will feature its host Snoop Dogg giving peeks into his new album, “From Tha Streets 2 Tha Suites,” as he rings in 4:20 p.m. across every time zone in the continental U.S. (His 18th studio record, not coincidentally, drops on 4/20.) Celebrity chef Nikki Steward will whip up a weed-infused dinner for Mike Tyson, Too $hort and Jaleel White. Khalifa will kick off a cypher with Taylor Gang members, Rapsody and The Alchemist. Sets will also come from co-headliners A$AP Rocky and R&B singer Jhene Aiko, while ganjapreneur and rapper Berner will take part in the festivities, as will comedian Ms. Pat, G-Eazy and Tokimonsta. The nearly five-hour show, streaming free on Weedmaps.com and available for the first time in Canada and Mexico, aims to keep people at home even though Covid-19 vaccine rates are increasing across the U.S. Weedmaps wants to discourage people from gathering in person, as they traditionally have pre-pandemic, for major cannabis-themed music festivals and street fairs. “It’s a long event that people can watch safely,” Feijoo said, “and because it’s more fully produced and larger in scope, we hope it will resonate with our audience.” This Book From an Ad Creative Teaches You How to Pair Cannabis With Specific Art Styles

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Weedmaps and Willie Nelson Bake Cannabis Activism Into Their 4/20 Virtual Celebrations

Events timed for the high holiday have grown more politically active

T.L. Stanley

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T.L. Stanley