4/20 in Washington: Celebration, Progress, and the Work Ahead

This year, we spent part of 4/20 where the movement is strongest: in community.

We were glad to attend the celebration at High Point Cannabis, where the energy was warm, welcoming, and full of life. The store hosted food vendors, local businesses, and a steady stream of customers who came ready to celebrate, connect, and enjoy the day. We had the chance to speak with many consumers and medical patients throughout the day, hearing firsthand how cannabis continues to improve quality of life for people managing pain, sleep issues, anxiety, and other health challenges.

We also heard what still needs work: affordability, access, product consistency, and the need for policies grounded in the realities people face every day. Those conversations matter. They remind us that cannabis is not an abstract political issue. It is about people, health, jobs, and community wellbeing.

4/20 also marked another important milestone in Washington.

While we did not get to celebrate in person, we were proud to be part of the effort that helped lift Lynnwood’s longstanding cannabis retail ban. On April 20, Starbuds Cannabis Co. opened as the first retail cannabis store in Lynnwood, marking a new chapter for the city. The grand opening included a ribbon cutting with Mayor George Hurst and financial contributions to local nonprofits, showing how regulated cannabis businesses can create immediate community benefit from day one.

We wish the Lynnwood store every success and applaud the city for embracing a thoughtful path forward.

4/20 is often seen as a celebration, and it should be. But it is also a reminder of how recent legalization still is. In Washington, legal cannabis is barely more than a decade old. Many people still live with the harms of prohibition. Patients still face unnecessary costs. Businesses still face instability. And federally, cannabis remains prohibited.

The work is not finished.

If you believe in sensible policy, patient access, economic opportunity, and a responsible cannabis industry, we invite you to support our work with a donation. Your support helps us organize, educate, and advocate where it matters most.

Because cannabis policy is everyone’s business.