We’re just going to say it: April 20 is exhausting. Thirsty brands. SEO farms masquerading as “media brands.” The seventh-grade edgelord who owns Twitter. What started as a wink-wink holiday built on a wink-wink teenage ritual has officially become as commonplace (and inescapable) as any other greeting-card tradition.

Which is fitting, if you think about it. “There’s a surreal cultural transformation happening across the country,” wrote Livia Gershon in 2019, “from dime bags bought and sold in avoidance of the police to meticulously packaged extracts and edibles in plain view at shopping centers.”

Big business brings big changes. It also makes for some conflicted feelings. As Peter Rubin pointed out in 2021, “the stories of post-legalization America are in many ways the stories of the nation itself.” In fact, that goes for any story about cannabis in the U.S. — money has always been lurking in the background, like a sight gag in a Cheech & Chong movie. Legalization has simply erased the distinction between background and foreground.

Thankfully, that flattening hasn’t diluted cannabis’ stature in the world of journalism and essay. It remains a potent force for introspection and comedy, as demonstrated in Jen Doll’s “Edible Complex.” With its newfound legitimacy, it’s become a fertile breeding ground for science writing. And there’s always the economic angle. So no matter how you choose to celebrate this year, take some time to revisit our many 420-friendly original pieces and recommendations.

Edible Complex

Never eat pot chocolate on a third date, and other lessons about love.
by Jen Doll

Reading Lists

Editors’ Picks

The Visionary

David Alm | Runner’s World | February 3, 2022 | 5,748 words

Drink Up, Stoners

Amanda Chicago Lewis | The Verge | July 30, 2019 | 5,360 words

The Section 8 Cannabis Eviction Problem

Although many states legally allow the use of medical marijuana, federal law still prohibits its possession in federally subsidized housing, so many residents live in fear of eviction.