On 4/20, thousands fire up as city looks the other way
Cody Frantz (left), Kayla Gee, Kara Dorton and Rheanna Patton take part in the pot celebration’s grand finale at 4:20 p.m.
By the thousands they came, from all over the Bay Area and across California, in billowing clouds of sweetsmelling smoke and scarfing enough munchies to fulfill even the hungriest stoner’s dreams.
Thursday was the annual friendly invasion of Golden Gate Park by marijuana fans to mark their celebration of April 20, and despite some official jitters over having so many weed fogged people in one place at the same time, when the last bong hits flickered out, the day had lived up to its laidback goals of fun and sun.
The date is known simply as 4/20 in the pot world, and Thursday’s gathering was San Francisco’s first fully
permitted cannabis celebration in the park. Which meant that instead of the usual unsupervised free-for-all of years past, this time there were fences and rules and officials looking on. But none of that wound up harshing much of the mellow.
Though some impatient pot fans were irritated that the gates opened 40 minutes after the scheduled 9 a.m. start time — a slightly surprising reaction from a crowd not known for hitting the bricks hard in the morning — once things got going, the day settled into a happy haze.
For Christine and Aaron Maxson, who drove from Tahoe for the day, their time in the park was part of a wholesome family outing with their new puppy, Ziggy. Like any good pot fans, they kept things loose and ambled by the beach first so the pooch could see the water and get in the right mood.
“He was so excited seeing the ocean for the first time,” Christine said as they lounged in the sun near the top of Hippie Hill, the epicenter of the gathering around Sharon Meadow. Security guards took some beers they had brought when they entered, but they were unperturbed.
“It’s a little weird to see the security,” Aaron said, “but it’s not a huge deal. If I was 15, I’d sneak in here no problem.”
For decades, hordes of visitors have descended on a single meadow on the east end of the park to honor their favorite intoxicant and celebrate pot culture. But this year’s April 20 was the first such stoner holiday since California legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older, and the first time city leaders allowed a group of sponsors to obtain a permit to hold a sanctioned 4/20 event in the park.
There were reasons for this. Pot’s inherently laid-back image notwithstanding, the event in the past has had troubles.
Last year, police made eight arrests, and a man wearing brass knuckles robbed two teens. In 2015, an assailant smashed a bottle on a park ranger’s head, and two groups of men violently robbed attendees. Police arrested five that year. In 2014, police arrested 11. There were also usually some fights, huge traffic snarls and tons of trash left behind — 11 tons just last year.
This time, the Police Department was on hand to close streets as needed while event organizers shelled out tens of thousands of dollars for fencing, security, concessions and park maintenance. The event was cordoned off like a traditional festival, and no one younger than 18 was allowed in through the four gates. A host of items were prohibited, including glass bottles, folding chairs, tents and large coolers. Also banned were unpermitted commercial sales and booths of any kind.
The constrictions couldn’t snuff the fanaticism for the spiky-leaved weed, which borders on something slightly resembling religion. Only a lot more easygoing. Smoky. And hunger-inducing.
Food trucks hawking everything from lobster to hempinfused drinks were packed, with the longest lines queued up for hot links and garlic fries. Also busy were the many blanket spreads selling pot things they weren’t supposed to, from glass bongs to edibles — but in the spirit of the day, not even the cops seemed to be stressing much. They also weren’t leaning heavily on the law that still makes it illegal to smoke marijuana out in the open.
“I always come here. It’s nice to be around people I can relate to,” said Wayne Dixon, who was also in the park to celebrate his birthday — and relish the fact that he was born on 4/20. “Where else would I want to be?”
At the entrance to the park off Stanyan Street, the swarms headed in were greeted by a woman in a sweatshirt reading “vibes” and a man next to her peddling “One dollar joints.” Men in tie-dyed shirts sold weed in Ziploc bags filled to the brim, and lathered into popcorn balls and Jell-O shots.
Inside on the fenced lawns, a cloud of smoke hovered over those lounging under clear skies on blankets and folding chairs. Park rangers and fire officials stood by, presumably trying not to breathe in too much secondhand smoke. A DJ on a central stage boomed a steady stream of everything from Michael Jackson to Kendrick Lamar’s latest album.
At 4:20 p.m., the sacred time of observance, the DJ did a countdown and everyone took one long toke. Bob Marley’s “Jammin’ ” filled the already misty air — and then after a long pause came a chorus of coughs from one end of the meadow to the other.
Even without major trouble, some neighbors still heaved unhappy sighs as they watched the crowds gather.
Katie Aaronson, who lives on Fulton Street near Third Avenue facing the park, said she hates the traffic and crowds and called the event “stupid.”
“I don’t think it’s fair that we have to pay thousands of dollars to clean up after their event,” she said.
With that very type of complaint in mind, a cadre of sponsors led by Alex Aquino, owner of Haight Street business Black Scale, footed the bill for this year’s permit and the event organization. Official enthusiasm was less than effusive.
Supervisor London Breed said in a statement: “Love it or hate it, the culturally historic ‘4/20 festival’ is not going away, and it has a significant impact on our city, on our district, and on our parks . ... This is still not a city-sponsored or city-approved event. But with this new partnership, and a well-oiled plan among city agencies, we hope this year will be cleaner and safer for all.”
About 15,000 people attended — slightly more than last year — according to park officials, and no major damage had been reported. Police Sgt. Robert Rueca said things went well, with good crowd cooperation and no arrests by closing time.
Attendees, with some prodding from police motorcyclists, streamed out of the park onto surrounding streets, overwhelming special Muni lines that would take them back downtown, and triggering widespread delays across several bus lines.
The event’s new, more structured format drew mixed reviews from the attendees, with some feeling safer with all the organization and some feeling too micromanaged by the barricades and bag checks.
“This year, it’s kinda different,” said Chris Fame, 24. “It’s cool, I guess. Somebody’s gonna make some money. It’s a done deal now.”
Not so accepting were the likes of Dan Scott, who’s driven in from Sacramento for 4/20 for five years.
“Right now, I think it sucks, because they’re doing a control thing,” said Scott, 55. “Last year, it was totally cool, you could do whatever you wanted. This changes the whole attitude of the situation.”
The cultural signifier 4/20 first emerged out of a group of Marin County high school students in the ’70s, who used the then-secret code number to coordinate afterschool smoke sessions. The Grateful Dead adopted and spread the 4/20 code through its touring circuit and devoted fans, and by the ’90s, 4/20 had seeped into the mainstream, where it embedded itself deeper.
Pot remains illegal under federal law, though enforcement is generally limited to large-scale sales. Recent polls show 60 percent of the population supports legalization.
Nowadays, online room renters and prospective roommates use the phrase “4/20-friendly” to advertise their tolerance of the drug by guests, renters or roommates. National food brands capitalize on the phrase to sell munchies.
California legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older on Nov. 8. Adults 21 and older may lawfully possess up to an ounce of cannabis flowers or 8 grams of pot extracts as well as give up to an ounce of bud to others 21 and older. They are also allowed to cultivate up to six plants. Sales of recreational pot in stores will begin after Jan. 1.
Chronicle staff writers David Downs and Jenna Lyons
contributed to this report.