Survey: Gen Z still plans to observe cannabis holiday

Young consumers are modifying their “4/20” celebrations for social distancing.

According to a new study of 1,150 Gen Z consumers from online content platform EduBirdie, 70% of respondents plan to participate in the annual “4/20” cannabis holiday which will be held on Monday, April 20. While the official origins of the holiday are hazy, it is believed to have begun with students at the University of Michigan in the early 1970s.

Fewer than 30% of respondents planning to celebrate 4/20 said they will do so on their own. However, more than 40% said they will observe the holiday with their friends over video chat in deference to social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

The most popular ways respondents plan to consume cannabis on 4/20 are edibles such as brownies, gummies, or lollipops (30%), followed by vape pens with cannabis oil (25%), and traditional smoking accessories such as pipes and handrolled cigarettes (15%). The top three snacks celebrants plan to have on hand are pizza and cheesy bread, followed by nachos and burgers and fries.

Other notable findings include:

• Fifty-five percent of respondents suggested that cannabis helps relieve their stress caused by media hysteria and overall uncertainty about the future. 
• Ten percent of those celebrating 4/20 are going to wait until their daily schedules and work are complete before indulging.
• Almost 30% of cannabis-consuming respondents said that 4/20 is one of their top three holidays to celebrate.

"4/20 has always been a popular holiday among different generations and now people of Generation Z are becoming the legal age to consume, so they are indulging as well," said Avery Morgan, senior editor and director of communications at EduBirdie.