If you don’t believe that US companies can monetize anything, take pot smokers’ unofficial holiday of 4/20.
Marijuana’s high holiday reportedly began in the 1970’s with some high school buddies from San Rafael High School in CA’s Marin County. “The Waldos”- as they called themselves- would meet after classes at 4:20pm by the school statue of chemist Louis Pasteur and smoke. A brother of one of the Waldos was a friend of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. The ‘420’ slang supposedly spread via the Waldos’ Deadhead connections- and the rest became stoner history.
Fast forward to the present. 4/20 has certainly become monetized. Dispensaries run sales and 4/20 deals, with limited edition strains and offers. There are festivals like SF Space Walk and Bay Blaze Fest. Colorado’s 4/20 concert at Red Rocks showcased legends Ice Cube, Big Boi and Snoop Dogg and others. Major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, and New York host art shows, live music, local vendors, and food trucks.
Of course the resulting munchies that smokers reportedly exhibit are met by nation-wide restaurant deals and fast food offers too. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse offers $4.20 Pizookies for night owls, starting at 9pm. Dog Haus gives members a free Cheeseburger Slider if they spend $4.20 or more. Chipotle, Red Robin, Taco Bell, Wingstop and others have their own specialized promotions as well.
4/20’s evolution raises a bigger question: Is it good or bad that capitalism so quickly recognizes any demand, then packages and sells it? On the positive side, it drives innovation and creates economic opportunities. On the downside, the system suggests that everything can be monetized, leaving no ideals, ideas, or culture untouched.
Capitalism proclaims that profit is power- the ability to turn your dreams into something profitable. Yet it is ironic that the anti-establishment ethos behind 4/20 has itself been repackaged and sold, with rebellion becoming marketable. Whether that is contradiction or progress, the 4/20 counterculture moment has now found its niche in the marketplace.
Photo by Sergei Starostin
