To kick off “4/20,” an annual global cannabis holiday celebrated on April 20, Appalachian Mountain Brewery hosted an event Saturday.
Guests gathered outside at rows of picnic tables, where the scent of cannabis lingered in the air. Smoke from pre-rolls drifted through the crowd as participants conversed over alcoholic beverages and cannabis infused drinks. Appalachian Mountain Brewery featured a berry lemon fizz, a drink infused with 5 milligrams of THC and 5 milligrams of CBD.
At the front of the venue was The High Country Cannabist, a local dispensary operated by William Minor. Minor has been involved with the industry since 2019, after the Farm Bill was passed in North Carolina legalizing hemp. High Country Cannabist had a joint rolling station set up, packed with papers and filters, where participants had the opportunity to roll their own joints, and the dispensary sold packages of flower.
A live band, Rastacoustic, provided jams throughout the afternoon, keeping the event lively.
Jakyra Simmons, a graduate student majoring in computer science attended the event. Her first time participating in cannabis was her freshman year of college.
“This is my first time celebrating 4/20. I’m very excited,” Simmons said.
She was one of many who also indulged in the Berry Lemon Fizz, and added that it was one of her favorite drinks to get at Appalachian Brewing.
“Cannabis makes me feel great, I usually smoke before social settings because it makes me feel less nervous. I’m always much more relaxed,” Simmons said.
At 4:20 p.m., The High Country Cannabist took the stage, commencing the joint rolling competition.
Participants had the opportunity to sign up, and there were two rounds of competition. The first round was a timed event to see how fast participants could roll a joint. Individuals sat together at a long picnic table, where two contestants finished within 12 seconds.
The next round, which Minor called the classic round, was about the quality of the joint. Three people were crowned the winners, each having perfected a tight, smokable joint.
During this time, Minor shared with the attendees about the importance of protecting hemp products from the incoming THC ban.
On April 20, local dispensary High Life had 20% off storewide, 25% off glassware and an opportunity to participate in raffles.
On Wednesday, the winners of the raffle were announced, with up to seven people claiming their prize. In first place was Nathan Strickland, a junior criminal justice major.
“I heard that a couple of more people had more entries than me, but I was very hopeful; it felt like a good vibe,” Strickland said.
Strickland said that he visits the dispensary at least four to five times a week, and had four raffle ticket entries.
“A lot of my friends smoke, and one of my favorite parts is not even the action of it. Just hanging around people, going hiking and seeing cool sceneries,” Strickland said.
He won the ultimate prize of up to $400 worth of products, including a High Life tumblr, prerolls, disposables and more.
“‘4/20’ I’d like to say is probably my third favorite holiday,” Strickland said.
