Sunday evening, I was walking over to my aunt’s house to have dinner for my mom’s birthday. Normally, I would drive to Aunt Laura’s house but a few environmental articles I had read earlier in the day made me feel guilty about starting the car to travel only 3/4 of a mile from home. I took the walk and used the 10 minutes to return some missed call.
About seven minutes into my walk and during a phone conversation with my friend Joey, a white Honda Civic passes me slowly, with both the girl driving the car and the guy riding shotgun observing me. The car drives past me and uses the intersection ahead to pull a U-turn and comes back towards me, slowly approaching me with the intent of asking me something. I put the phone down and leave Joey on the line and enter into this conversation
Passenger Guy: Hey man, do you smoke week?
Me: Wait what?
PG: Marijuana.
Me: No, I got that, its just an odd question to asks someone out of the blue like this.
PG: Yeah, well its 4/20, and we have to find a random kid to smoke with.
Me: Oh, yeah, today is 4/20. Well, I don’t really smoke (I don’t smoke, but I had to ask this guy some more questions), but you are just looking for a stranger to share a blunt with?
PG: Pretty much, its the way we observe the day, sort of like a friendly offering/act of atonement for and weed we’ve have mooched over the year. (The girl at the wheel smiles and giggles).
Me: Well, this is tempting and if the timing had been different, I probably would have joined you, but I am really late for Ravioli night at Aunt Laura’s house and if I showed up late and a little bit altered, I might get some shit for it.
PG: Fair enough, well thanks anyway. Happy 4/20.
I started walking again and the car slowly pulled away. I knew I had disappointed them, because they seemed to be really eager to have me smoke with them. Also, seeing as how everyone else walking in my neighborhood was on their way to temple for Passover services, it was probably difficult for Stoner Bonnie and Clyde to readily find a third pilgrim to partake in their holiday bounty.
The rest of the walk to Aunt Laura was heavy with burden because I felt as though I really should have respected their generosity even if I don’t enjoy smoking, have never gotten a straight answer regarding the actual significance of 420 to marijuana and should not get into a stranger’s car on general principle. I’ve longed believed that marijuana should be made legal because it made sense logically, but after seeing firsthand the power marijuana has to unite complete strangers, their are altruistic benefits to legalization for humanity, especially these difficult societal times.
Tony
Wallace
enice5555
kingstamper
Matt
6 responses so far ↓
Wallace // April 21, 2008 at 2:21 am
Should I know that 4/20 is marijuana day? I mean, who knows these things? I guess marijuana guys. Also, can marijuana really be that good? I mean what ever happened to just plain old drinking? This whole marijuana culture is just too much. It’s like it’s the end all be all.
Tony // April 21, 2008 at 2:36 am
Ok, for starters, you should know that 4/20 is Marijuana day, just because its this is commonly known among anyone who knows things.
Marijuana I think is highly overrated, but this factors into my rational that it should be legalized. And taxed, and regulated. Its no more harmless than alcohol or tobacco and probably incurs a much less societal cost, because alcohol is more destructive and tobacco is more cancerous (mostly because cigarette smokers smoke 10-20 cigarettes a day; potheads generally just smoke once daily). Most of the reasons why marijuana is illegal stem from terrible scientific data from a century ago.
I’m not saying I approve of marijuana use; I really don’t enjoy smoking. I’m just saying that it would be better off legal, with proper regulation, than in its current, illegal state. This way, marijuana could be used and sold safely and the money from its sale would be less likely to finance organized crime, gangs or terrorist groups.
Its not as though marijuana has ever been shown to be a devastating drug that levies a huge societal burden, the way that harder drugs like heroin or cocaine do.
Tony // April 21, 2008 at 2:37 am
Lastly, drinking is not going anywhere.
Wallace // April 21, 2008 at 10:32 am
Yeah, but when is drink with a stranger day? Or is that every day? And honestly, I would venture to say most people don’t know about 4/20, so I’m in the majority. I’d prefer to know about how to build a house or what a yurt is.
Tony // April 21, 2008 at 11:58 am
Most people don’t know about 4/20, you are right. But most people also watch dancing with the stars each week and listen to that Sarah Barielles song, so maybe striving to be part of “most people” is not something to aspire to.
I think Snoop from The Wire often used the word “yurt” fyi.
Javi // May 18, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Fuck that shit keep on smoking keep 420 going run all over those mother fucker like on NFL SMOKEWEEDEVERYDAY420