The third installment of the Waldo’s Forever Fest, which promises a full day of music, education and merry-making for cannabis lovers, has been postponed to September 26 from its original April 20 schedule amidst the stay-at-home orders issued across the state of Illinois in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The venue still stays in front of Dispensary 33 in Chicago. The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act on May 31, 2019 to legalize recreational marijuana use starting on January 1, 2020.
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Cannabis users had been looking forward to the fest to publicly proclaim their love of cannabis and celebrate the much-awaited day of April 20th.
The silver lining for many users, however, is the announcement by Dispensary 33 that they are organizing an online revelry through the Twitch app. While public consumption of cannabis is still prohibited, the online bash will allow users to smoke at home while participating in the virtual 4/20 gathering.
Abigail Watkins, a spokesperson for Dispensary 33 said that the online program will start at 4.20 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 to “showcase different personalities and different people’s talents in the cannabis community all throughout Chicago.” The line-up features a live stream of local DJs and glass blowers, as well as Chicago rockers White Mystery and drag performers Lucy Stoole and Shea Coulee, a finalist on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.
Other similar virtual gatherings have been planned across the country to celebrate 4/20.
Weedmaps, a tech and software provider for the cannabis industry, is hosting the virtual concert Higher Together: Sessions From Home, on Monday, April 20 beginning at noon PST where Billy Ray Cyrus will join Ari Lennox, Wiz Khalifa, Joey “CoCo” Diaz and other artists, comedians and entertainers to perform exclusive sets from their homes.
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The Last Prisoner Project which is a non-profit alliance of cannabis industry leaders, executives, and artists, aims at bringing restorative justice to the cannabis prisoners across US prisons.
They are running a donation drive to help the prisoners and also to urge the President and the Federal Bureau of Prisons to take the necessary steps to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus on these incarcerated communities.
The second annual Chicago Cannabis Health and Wellness Fair at Olive-Harvey College is also moving online.
The event will feature panel discussions, demonstrations and presentations on a range of cannabis-related topics, including weed-infused cooking, cannabis rights and using the drug to deal with pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Donte Townsend, founder of the Chicago chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group co-sponsoring the event, will give a virtual talk on CBD & hemp.
“With what’s going on, we’ve found ways to be able to still offer a free service to the public about health and the beneficial uses of cannabis in its multiple forms that people can access from home,” he said.
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker extended the state-wide stay-at-home order until May that prohibits large gatherings. The Coronavirus case count in Illinois stands at 24,593 since the pandemic began, with the death toll being 948.
