Why would anyone want to celebrate 420? Let me lay it out.
It isn’t about rebellion. It’s about gratitude.
We know what you’re thinking. Another blog post from “those people.” The ones who think c*nn*bis is the answer to everything. The ones who treat 4/20 like some glorified excuse to get high.
And we get it. Truly. We’ve in Colorado for a decade, so we know just the people you’re talking about.
We’re GenX. Subsequently, we grew up with the same “Here’s your brain on drugs” commercials on TV that everyone else did.
But here we are. Not trying to change your mind — just asking for a few minutes of your time. We’d like to explain why we celebrate 420, and why you might not want to judge it quite so quickly.
A Decade Lost to Prescriptions
In early 2016, my husband and I were taking more than a dozen prescriptions — daily. For him that included a decade of chronic pain from surgeries and spinal damage led to a steady rotation of opioids, muscle relaxers, and nerve blockers. He wasn’t “abusing drugs” — he was following doctor’s orders to the letter. But after ten years of compliance, he was still in pain. Still exhausted. Still dependent.
Similarly, I was on my own chemical cocktail just to manage anxiety, depression, and burnout from a high-stress job. We were only in our 40s, but we felt old. Sick. Disconnected. Heavy — physically and emotionally.
Our Breaking Point
One day, we looked at each other and realized: this isn’t working.
We were doing everything “right” — the prescriptions, the appointments, the insurance battles — and yet, we weren’t healing. In fact, we were barely maintaining.
And so, we made a different choice – we moved to Denver. We…
- threw away the pills.
- stopped drinking.
- cleaned up our diet.
- got outside, played more disc golf, did more hiking
Most of all, we got honest about our patterns. And yes — we began a careful, respectful relationship with the most infamous herb.
Wait… Weed?
I know. That word alone might trigger skepticism, discomfort, or even disgust.
But here’s what it wasn’t:
- It wasn’t a reckless escape.
- It wasn’t about tuning out.
- And it definitely wasn’t a party.
We treated it like a tool — one of many in our new routine. No differently than one might do for their doctor when experimenting with a new medication, we tracked our results, journaled our progress, and paid attention. We didn’t try to feel “nothing” — we tried to feel better. And slowly, we did.
We lost weight, slept deeper, smiled more, and started building a life instead of just surviving one.
Why We Celebrate 420
We don’t celebrate 420 because it’s a “stoner holiday.”
We celebrate it because it marks a turning point in our lives — the moment we took ownership of our health instead of waiting for someone else to fix us.
It’s no different than someone celebrating the day they quit drinking. Or the day they finished chemo. Or the day they ran their first mile.
It’s a day we remember that healing doesn’t always look the way we were told it would.
But Is It Medicine?
As much as I’d love to be the one who shouts it’s benefits from rooftops (in fact, I was that person for many years), I’ve realized what the disclaimer, “Results not typical,” really means. Not everyone can do what we did.
If this herb were a diet drug, Gary and I would be their poster children.
So is it a medicine? That’s not for us to declare. We’re not here to make bold claims or push any agenda. We understand that science is still catching up, and not every story has the same outcome.
But we also know that not all solutions come in pill bottles.
And we’ve seen firsthand what can happen when people are willing to try something new — responsibly, mindfully, and with great care.
What It Means to Celebrate 420
Responsibility.
Accountability.
Resilience.
Freedom.
And the courage to take a different path when the first one failed.
If that doesn’t sound like something worth honoring, that’s okay. We’re not here to convince you.
But maybe next time you see someone quietly honoring 4/20 — you’ll remember that for some of us, it’s not about “getting high.”
It’s about finally getting well.
You Don’t Have to Smoke It, Just Don’t Judge Me When I Do
You don’t have to agree with our choices to understand our gratitude.
All we ask is this: if you wouldn’t criticize someone for finding peace in prayer, or relief in a prescription, or strength in sobriety… maybe don’t criticize us for finding hope in a plant.
Happy 4/20 — from two people who take it seriously.
