On Sunday, April 20, 2025, clutching lighters, picnic blankets, and snacks, students flocked to Foss Hill to celebrate 4/20, the annual cannabis consumption holiday.
As students basked in the sun, performers from Mic Check, a campus hip-hop and RnB collective, serenaded the crowd from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Performers included student artists Leoh, Lorwood, Tjaq, Amah, Truey Judes, Nolan Lewis, and Topshootaak. Mic Check founder Leevon Matthews ’23 organized the show, one of the dozen events his group has planned in the three years since its formation.
The performances capped off an especially busy weekend of concerts on campus. On Saturday, April 19, known to many as Zonker Harris Day, over a dozen bands performed throughout the afternoon and evening in the Westco courtyard.
On Sunday, April 20, students began to arrive at Foss Hill as early as 10 a.m. But as 4:20 p.m. drew near, the crowd swelled; attendees cheered and counted down to the iconic time.
“4/20 was special for me… I loved seeing all these students flock onto the field,” an anonymous underage sophomore said. “The sunny weather made the day much more exciting and [happy]. I especially enjoyed seeing my friends smoke who normally avoid [it].”
The celebration of 4/20 allegedly stems from a group of high school students in San Rafael, Calif., who made the date and time synonymous with marijuana consumption in 1971. Today, 4/20 has achieved worldwide popularity as a pro-marijuana holiday. Recreational marijuana dispensaries and restaurants across the country boast special sales and menu items leading up to and on the holiday.
Although the holiday is not officially recognized by the University, WesWings, a beloved on-campus restaurant, had its own 4/20 deal on Saturday. Beginning at 4:20 p.m., students could order a 4/20 “pail,” choosing from over 20 food options including mac n’ cheese, chicken tenders, falafel, fried ravioli, avocado, and gravy.
While 4/20 has long been celebrated, the recreational consumption of marijuana has been illegal in the United States for most of its history. In recent years, however, a growing number of states have legalized the drug, citing medical perspectives and research which argue that it can be far less harmful than alcohol, which has been nationally legal since 1933. Today, all but six states have legalized some form of marijuana.
On June 22, 2021, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 1201, legalizing recreational and medical marijuana consumption for those age 21 and older. For individuals under age 21, however, marijuana consumption is a Class D misdemeanor under Connecticut state law.
Despite the recent legalization of the drug, the holiday has long been celebrated at the University. The Argus’ coverage of the event dates back to at least 2006.
Despite the packed crowd of students on Foss, a study from WesWell shows that most students do not regularly consume cannabis products on campus.
“On days like 4/20 it can seem like everyone at Wes smokes, but according to our Spring 2025 Well-Being at Wes Survey, 57% of Wesleyan students haven’t used cannabis in the past 30 days and 61% of students find it unacceptable to use cannabis daily,” WesWell Director September Dibble wrote in an email to The Argus. “Overall, the norm is making healthy decisions when it comes to cannabis use.”
Dibble encourages students to practice harm reduction techniques if they choose to partake in cannabis consumption.
“Should you choose to use cannabis, harm reduction practices should always be at the top of one’s mind,” Dibble wrote. “Start with a small quantity of cannabis to see how it impacts you…. Remember to pace yourself – Wait 10 minutes between hits if smoking, or two hours between edible doses.”
In past years, WesWell provided free snacks to students on Foss. However, because Easter Sunday fell on the same day as 4/20 this year, WesWell’s office was closed.
As the evening fell and the high-spirited crowds began to disperse, the environmental impact of the holiday upon Foss Hill became clear. The grass was littered with empty plastic containers, bags, and other discarded items, and the trash cans surrounding the area overflowed, with waste piled on the ground around them. The 4/20 litter problem dates back many years. A 2006 Letter to the Editor emphasized the issue.
“I’d like to think that we, as Wesleyan students, are aware of a little something called personal responsibility,” Xu Sun ’08 wrote. “That said, some (dare I say most?) of you guys are absolute pigs.”
Anabel Goode can be reached at agoode@wesleyan.edu.
Miles Pinsof-Berlowitz can be reached at mpinsofberlo@wesleyan.edu.
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