Rep. Ted Lieu wished those observing a marijuana-themed holiday well on social media.
The cannabis celebration falls on April 20 every year, a reference to the date 4/20. While there are a number of theories about where the holiday originated, CNN reported that it actually corresponds with 4:20 p.m., the time of day when a group of California high school students in the 1970s would smoke marijuana while their parents were not yet home from work.
Lieu, 51, a proponent of legalization, tweeted “Happy 420” on Monday afternoon.
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Happy 420
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 20, 2020
The California Democrat has frequently advocated for legalizing the substance on social media but has said he does not use it himself.
“It is far overdue for the Obama Administration to bring an end to a draconian marijuana policy,” he and thirteen other lawmakers said in a letter sent to President Obama in 2016.
“Forty-one states have legalized medical cannabis to varying degrees, and four states and the District of Columbia have fully legalized marijuana. As other states look to legalize this fall, including California, it makes zero sense for marijuana to still be placed on Schedule I, a group which includes dangerous substances such as heroin and LSD,” he continued. “With a majority of the American public now embracing legalization, I hope the federal government will follow their lead.”
A larger number of people may be commemorating the day this year than in years past as marijuana usage and sales have risen during stay-at-home orders, which have been implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
In Lieu’s home state of California, cannabis users attend a massive, unsanctioned pro-marijuana gathering on April 20 every year at the Robin Williams Meadow, otherwise known as “Hippie Hill,” but the event will not take place this year due to the pandemic.
“I want to be clear with people who come to San Francisco on 4/20, to Robin Williams Meadow to celebrate 4/20,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said last week. “Do not come to San Francisco on 4/20. We will not allow this unsanctioned event to occur this year, especially at the height of a pandemic.”
