Marijuana activist Todd Hinden, 55, who wore a green suit and top hat with weed leaves on it, organized an event, “Joints for Jabs”, at Union Square Park where he gave out free joints to adults 21+ who showed proof of their vaccination with a vaccination card.

“The reason why we’re doing this is so people get vaccinated, but we’re also trying to get people to be aware of the cannabis situation in New York,” Hinden said. “We’re trying to get the federal government to get cannabis off the Controlled Substances Act, which means that we can put our money in the bank, we can buy, sell, grow cannabis at any format and not have to worry about the federal government putting people in prison.”

Up to 3,000 joints is expected to be handed out when the event ends at 4:20 pm.

While unvaccinated New Yorkers won’t enjoy the privilege of smoking a free doobie on 4/20, they can at least be sure they won’t be affected from dangerous blood cots recently reported as a life-threatening side effect of the J&J vaccine. The AstraZeneca-Oxford shot has also been restricted in some countries for investigation into the risks of blood clots.

Marijuana has recently been legalized in New York. Possession and use of up to three ounces of marijuana by users 21 and over became immediately legal after Governor Cuomo— who is currently being investigated over multiple scandals— signed into legislation S854A the “marihuana regulation and taxation act”. While the bill decriminalizes the possession and use of marijuana, it doesn’t provide a legal pathway to obtain it for at least a year.

Forty per cent of tax revenue from marijuana sales will go toward minority communities that have been disproportionately affected by marijuana criminalization. The state has not specified where the remaining sixty per cent will go.

Jacob Yusufov, Founder and Editor in Chief of American Pigeon. 

Cover image taken by Matthew McDermott