Not so happy Holidaze: 420 loses its original purpose
Kurtis Lee/Los Angeles Times/TNS
April 20, 2015
Loading ...What was once considered counter culture, has now become a part of the mainstream and not even 4/20 is quite safe from this trend. The term 420 (also stylized as 4:20) began as a means of expressing support for cannabis culture and has now devolved into being synonymous with a middle school joke because of its injection into mainstream society.
Whether or not a person supports cannabis culture and the legalization of marijuana is a debate for another time, but it appears people forget that this “holidaze” began as a way for people who shared similar beliefs regarding marijuana use to come together. It is not simply a day when a bunch of stoners smoke until their stash is depleted.
Counterculture is consistently necessary for the advancement of any society. The mainstream is known for being the vein where originality and individuality go to die and conformity is the daily bread. Therefore the opposite of that, counterculture, allows for unique and even radical thoughts to take place. For better or worse those thoughts allow a society to see the range of beliefs the communities within it have.
It does not matter what side of the legalization of marijuana argument a person finds themselves on, the importance lies in the ability of a society to nurture both the mainstream but also hear the cries of counterculture as a legitimate opposition to whatever norms are currently in place.
