April 4, 2025

Beyond 4/20: Cannabis Celebrations & Protests Around the World

Home>Blog>Beyond 4/20: Cannabis Celebrations & Protests Around the World

Key Takeaways

4/20 is the most internationally recognized cannabis holiday, but there are other significant cannabis festivals worldwide that blend advocacy, culture, and celebration, including Germany's Hanfparade, Amsterdam's Cannabis Liberation Day, Australia's MardiGrass, and Thailand's Highland festival.
These festivals focus on promoting cannabis legalization, educating the public, reducing stigma, and celebrating cannabis culture through activities such as marches, music performances, talks by experts, fashion parades, and community events.
While progress in cannabis legalization varies by country—with examples like Germany legalizing cannabis, the Netherlands tolerating possession, Australia's regional legalization, and Thailand's recent decriminalization and restrictions—global cannabis culture remains a powerful movement of advocacy and community.

When it comes to cannabis holidays, whether it's 7/10, Green Wednesday, or National CBD Day, there is simply one holiday that dominates the culture on an international level—4/20.

Now, at this time of year, you've probably been swamped with posts about the Waldos hanging out by a Louis Pasteur statue or "The Best Tips for a Great 4/20" (here's a hint: just consume cannabis and don't drive—that's it).

This year, we thought we'd take a different approach and take you on a journey (a figurative journey) to share with you different cannabis festivals or festivals involving cannabis around the world.

So, if you're curious about how others worldwide celebrate, advocate, or include cannabis in their traditions, you're in for a treat. In this article, we'll cover four cannabis celebrations and festivals worldwide.

Hanfparade - Berlin, Germany

Literally translating to "Hemp Parade," Hanfparade has been going on every August since 1997 as the world's largest march for cannabis as a source of wellness, a natural resource, and pure enjoyment.

According to the official website, the goal of Hanfparade is:

"To make the plant hemp known and interesting again in the full breadth of its usefulness, and also to reduce prejudice and stigmatization. Come to the hemp demo and show the public what is possible with hemp!"

Overall, Hanfparade is a massive parade that runs through Berlin, where marchers demonstrate their support of legalization and destigmatization. The parade also hosts related events, such as a stage with live music performances from national and international musicians and speakers who include big names in the country's politics, culture, and legalization music.

And perhaps there is something to Hanfparade because, on February 23, 2024, the German Parliament passed the "Cannabis Act," which legalized the cultivation and possession of cannabis. This piece of legislation made Germany the ninth country in the world to legalize cannabis.

Fun Fact: Did you know the first country to nationally legalize cannabis was Uruguay in 2013?

Cannabis Liberation Day - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Starting back in 2009, Amsterdam has been the host to "Cannabis Bevrijdingsdag" or in English, "Cannabis Liberation Day." Held in Flevopark, Cannabis Liberation Day is a festival full of live music and lecture-style talks from world-leading cannabis experts. Plus, if you're roaming around, chances are you'll find a range of cannabis-based products from consumables to wearables and everything in between.

"But isn't cannabis legal in the Netherlands?"

Actually, no, but it's "tolerated."

For decades, before any form of medicinal, recreational, or the legalization of hemp-derived cannabinoids in the United States, cannabis enthusiasts flocked to Amsterdam for their lax policies on the plant.

That's because, in 1976, the Dutch government chose to enact a policy in which authorities across the Netherlands would ignore that the consumption of cannabis is illegal but wouldn't prosecute anyone in possession of fewer than five grams for personal enjoyment.

So, while the Dutch have made great historical progress in their cannabis policy, there's still a bit more work to be done, and the purpose of Cannabis Liberation Day is to keep the ball rolling.

MardiGrass - Nimbin, Australia

Located in the northeastern region of the Australian state of New South Wales, Nimbin is a small town of just 1,607 people and has been described as:

"It is as if a smoky avenue of Amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-style building facades… Nimbin is a strange place indeed."

So basically, Nimbin is the Amsterdam of Australia, but what exactly is Mardigrass?

The best way to describe it is as a mix between a party and a peaceful protest to show people's support for reform in cannabis laws. Some of the events one can find at Mardigrass include:

Hemp Fashion Parade
Stand Up Comedy
Industrial Hemp Expo
Chess (after consuming cannabis)
The Hemp Olympix
Music Awards
Cannabis Honouring Ceremony

While cannabis is generally banned in Australia, the land down under has made strives to open up access to medicinal marijuana, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) legalized marijuana in 2019 to residents up to 18 years or older.

Highland - Bangkok, Thailand

Did you know that Thailand has its own 4/20? Well, actually, it's 6/9. Since June 2022, cannabis has been delisted from the Thai government's Narcotics Code, resulting in a boom of dispensaries all across the country, which brings us to the Thailand 420 Festival...which is held on June 9th (but 4/20 is also celebrated there too).

Since its start, Highland has been a place for cannabis enthusiasts to get together and celebrate the culture and community surrounding cannabis. From indoor and outdoor zones to workshops, activities, and markets with over 100 brands, Highland has demonstrated that Thailand is the cannabis capital of Asia (it was actually the first country on the continent to decriminalize cannabis).

However, unfortunately, in 2024, the Thai government took a U-turn, restricting cannabis to only medicinal purposes or government research. Nonetheless, like other parts of the world, activists have been fighting to free the plant from unnecessary restrictions.

Fun fact: Did you know Thailand has a landrace strain called "Thai?" A landrace is a strain developed over centuries in a specific region, adapting to its local environment. Strains that end in "Haze," like Super Silver Haze, are descendants of the Thai landrace strain.

Cannabis Culture: Advocacy and Community

From the streets of Berlin to the mountains of Nimbin, and here in Austin, TX, it's clear that cannabis culture is more than just a once-a-year celebration—it's a global movement driven by advocacy and community.

While 4/20 might be the most iconic cannabis holiday, these festivals around the world show that the spirit of cannabis transcends borders, blending protest with party, education with entertainment, and culture with cause.

So wherever you are this 4/20, remember you're part of a much larger story—one that's still unfolding, with voices rising, policies shifting, and communities coming together to celebrate the plant.

Until next time, happy exploring, and have a happy 4/20.

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