On Sunday, 10th in Iowa, US, a day of cultures was celebrated in Iowa Central’s Bioscience and Health Sciences. This day is a festival for people who want to explore cultures across the world.  This year, countries of the Middle East were represented, and every year there is a new region in a center of everybody’s attention.

At the festival, visitors had a unique opportunity to move around the building and get to know the traditions of foreign countries. For example, Sweden taught visitors about their local festival, the Midsummer festival, and demonstrated the tradition of pepparkakor – ginger wish cookies. Guests of the event were able to try some native cuisine and find out about the unique traditions. Children especially enjoyed filling out “passports” – they were linking flags with countries to which they belonged.

Starting in 1989, Iowa’s Festival of Nation has existed for more than 30 years, and every time something new is added to the program of the festival.

April 20

When the lines from an epic Grateful Dead song give birth to vivid images of richly blooming California cannabis fields becoming a reality.

Could five school friends from San Rafael suspect that their secret code for searching abandoned weed growth will turn into a full-blown universal phenomenon? Today, people across the globe will use this catch phrase to congratulate each other on a holiday dedicated to the very plant.

Tale of the 420

Initially, they were called «Waldos» as they used to hang out under the wall in the schoolyard. Somehow they got a map showing a mystery place with a lush marijuana thicket on it. Curiosity and excitement possessed them, and they took a mission. They fixed the encounter at 4:20 pm. 

To everyone’s regret, treasure hunts weren’t successful that day. As on other days later. But eventually, they kept meeting at the same time since these hikes were just a good way to spend time in the picturesque surroundings of San Francisco.

Meanwhile, 420 became a household term to refer to smoking marijuana, which gained traction in The Grateful Dead’s circle when the Waldos joined in the early 1970s.

In 1990, at one of the GD gigs, certain enthusiasts spread the flyers, calling for a joint smoking pot at 4:20 on April 20th. After that, a famous leaflet hit the High Time magazine, and that’s how the entire world knew about this grand celebration.

420 Today

For many years now, the former counter-culture event has been a universally accepted feast in almost all corners of the United States. Partying takes various forms in underground clubs, open-air venues, and on city streets.Its scale is less and less dependent on legalized status in any state.

For both smaller businesses and major corporations, this day became like the Hippocrene for every kind of marketing idea, thereby converting them into ordinary participants in celebrations, just like it is with Valentine’s Day or Halloween. It is more advisable for brands and companies to be associated with cannabis rather than to lag behind this fully blooming multi-billion dollar market.

The number of States permitting production and use of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes will soon be close to two dozen. At least four companies growing and producing marijuana-based products can be called true industry giants. Whereas individual enterprises and dispensaries are just incalculable. 

Cannabis Festivals

Major festivals involved in 420 culture take place in many cities. Besides the entertainment, concerts, food courts, exhibitions, and marketplaces, their programmes frequently include conferences that discuss issues of economic, social, and environmental matters related to cannabis. The involvement of many activists, coaches, technology developers, and experts from across the legal plant spectrum promotes constant information exchange. Start-up competitions are a splendid opportunity to get a grant for the most interesting ideas to develop.

There are also different kinds of ceremonies awarding the best growers. It is interesting to know if «Sisters of the Valley» ever attended anything like that. If they did, they would probably take the grand prize.