Funds cuts and monetary woes compelled San Francisco to cancel its annual 420 celebration at Golden Gate Park this yr, however a self-described psychedelic church says it’ll step in to assist help the 1000’s of individuals anticipated to nonetheless make the “spiritual pilgrimage.”
“Anyone who’s going out to Hippie Hill on 420 to smoke a joint, they’re doing that religiously, whether or not or not they notice it,” mentioned Church of Ambrosia Pastor Dave Hodges in a assertion. “This is sort of a pilgrimage to Mecca.”
An annual hazy, smoke-filled celebration that goes again to San Francisco’s Summer season of Love in 1967, the cannabis-themed pageant attracts in 1000’s of individuals for music, meals, comedy and, after all, weed.
In 2022, the occasion drew about 20,000 folks.
However in March 26, the metropolis introduced the smoke-filled occasion at Golden Gate Park was canceled due to metropolis price range cuts that prevented the town’s parks to cowl staffing for the occasion, and challenges within the hashish trade that made sponsorships onerous to safe.
Regardless of the cancellation, many individuals had been nonetheless anticipated to make the annual trek to the park for the April 20 celebration, a day noticed by hashish fanatics. Metropolis officers careworn there can be no stage, no reside music, no cubicles, and inspired folks to as an alternative have a good time 420 “in a spot that’s particular and native to them.”
On Thursday, Hodges mentioned Church of Ambrosia had teamed up with the Haight Ashbury Retailers Assn. and nonprofit teams to offer a “security web” for what they count on to be 1000’s of holiday makers.
Calling the 420 annual occasion a “spiritual pilgrimage,” the church mentioned in an announcement workers will likely be dispatched to the park to assist guests. They’ll be fitted and recognized with T-shirts with the phrases, “Stoner Security.”
“We see this as a spiritual occasion,” Hodges mentioned.
San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks Division didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
The church, with places in Oakland and San Francisco, describes itself as a nondenominational, interfaith spiritual group that helps entry to entheogenic crops, together with hashish and mushrooms.
In keeping with the assertion, the church will likely be offering greater than 30 moveable bogs, a medical tent staffed with 4 medics, a crew geared up with overdose-reversing drug Narcan, and a sales space handy out bottles of water.
Within the assertion, Hodges mentioned he isn’t encouraging folks to attend the occasion.
“The less the members,” he mentioned, “the much less possible that accessible companies will fall quick,” the assertion learn.
