Officials in San Francisco had a message for people headed there to celebrate 4/20 at Golden Gate Park: stay home. It appears they listened.
The unofficial cannabis celebration at Hippie Hill was canceled this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Roads leading to Hippie Hill were blocked off and the Robin Williams Meadow, where massive crowds normally form, was closed.
"Most people have actually been really good," Ken Craig, a San Francisco Police Department Auxiliary Law Enforcement Response Team volunteer, said. "They’ve been trying to do what we’re asking them to do."
The pandemic and shelter-at-home order meant no gatherings at the park where typically thousands of people come to celebrate cannabis culture.
The mayor urged people not to visit and gather, and the police chief spoke on Friday reminding people to stay home.
“If you don’t follow that advice, we will be there and again, we will cite and we will arrest if we have to,” said Police Chief William Scott. “We will be there to make sure we keep this city safe.”
Although the in-person celebration was canceled, virtual celebrations were expected to happen online.
“Celebrate at home,” said Tamara Barak Aparton, a San Francisco Parks official. “Use a delivery service if you can, if you’re buying product for 4/20. Just stay at home.”
