Spliffing! 4/20 takes over the US as cannabis smokers flock to parks across the country

American citizens flocked to parks on Thursday to celebrate 4/20, a holiday all about celebrating marijuana.

From coast to coast, people lit up recreationally both in their own homes and in parks in major cities with other weed enthusiasts in their area.

In New York City, hundreds gathered in Washington Square Park to “burn” through the haze in interesting and somewhat unconventional ways.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, San Francisco music icon Erykah Badu served as marijuana grand marshal, telling thousands of smokers to “put your weed in the air,” right at 4:20 p.m.

The holiday dates back to 1971, and theories about how it started range from crediting Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women” to the police code.

A person takes a hit of a smoke machine type bong on 4/20 or Weed Day in NYC

A man smokes a joint at the Jazz Dispensary during a 4/20 Day celebration in Los Angeles

Thursday celebrations in New York saw marijuana aficionados dressed in costumes and carrying weed in various forms.

One video shows a man in a Super Mario Bros. outfit lighting a device that then blows marijuana smoke at a huge crowd, full of people recording.

Another video from Washington Square Park shows a man smoking a blunt that appears to be at least a foot long.

“Yo, what the f**k is New York, bro,” you hear the person answering say

A clip from a New York City street shows a man walking around in a tan suit with huge bushes on his head, neck and the top of his collar.

The ‘walking blunt’ barely attracted the attention of passers-by.

San Franciscans across the country nodded along to Badu’s music as she sang.

“For many of us, this is our medicine,” she told the audience, as reported by SF port.

“This shit is here to take you to a higher place,” said the “On & On” singer.

The 420 Hippie Hill event took place in the famous Golden Gate Park and included music, food trucks, vendors and – of course – marijuana.

A person smokes marijuana from a large joint on 4/20 of Weed Day in Washington Square Park

A man in New York City carries a birthday cake with weed caps for candles

A marijuana plant is embossed on the US flag by a pot smoker in NYC

Stoned? Several people paused on the grass at Washington Square Park

A man holds a large cannabis joint during the 4/20 celebration in Denver, Colorado

A man smokes a joint outside a Los Angeles pharmacy on April 20

To the south, Denver city officials prepared for the arrival of some 40,000 people in Civic Center Park for the annual Mile High 420 Festival.

The event was open only to smokers 21 and older and, like the San Francisco affair, included food and music.

The festival brought out big names like Rick Ross, Fivio Foreign, Waka Flocka Flame and others.

The presenter was none other than Tommy Chong, famous for his role in the comedy duo Cheech & Chong.

One thing that was not on the agenda of the event was marijuana, as consumption in public areas is illegal.

“Anyone caught distributing marijuana or using illegal substances during the event may be removed from the event by local authorities,” festival organizers warned.

Marijuana is currently legal in nearly half of all US states as of 2023.

Results from two polls suggest that support for legal cannabis in the US now exceeds that for cigarettes. The data is shown above

The above shows cannabis use in US states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, with almost all of them now allowing its use for medicinal purposes.

Cannabis use among those under 30 has now reached an all-time high, data shows. It’s rising in all age groups as more and more states drop restrictions on the drug