April 20 has been a controversial holiday for the last couple of decades. Typically, those who celebrate cannabis culture mark the occasion by smoking marijuana around 4:20 p.m. Others use the occasion to get high for the majority of the day. As one of the first states to legalize pot for recreational use, Colorado becomes an especially popular destination around this time of year.
Unfortunately, some take their celebrations too far. A study from 2018 reveals that the risk of a fatal car crash increases by 12 percent after 4:20 p.m. on April 20 and 38 percent for drivers under the age of 21. This is likely because so many people head home from work less than an hour later. Regardless of when you choose to drive during that day, you need to be careful towards locations that will likely contain drivers that are high off pot.
Colleges
Most of the people celebrating April 20 tend to be college students and young adults. Police are on high alert around college campuses since they know how many students throw house parties around this time.
Even if you are not driving through a campus, you still need to take precautions if you are driving through a town close to a college. College students are inexperienced with driving and cannabis usage, which can make for a deadly combination. Don’t assume that the roads will be devoid of high drivers before 4:20 p.m. or even the day after. April 20 is on a Saturday this year, so the whole weekend might feature intoxicated students driving around campuses and nearby towns.
Cannabis dispensaries
Popular cities such as Denver have several cannabis dispensaries on multiple streets. As you’d expect, they receive plenty of customers once the week featuring April 20 arrives. Some make their purchases at the very last second, while others are impatient and might want to take a smoke after exiting the store.
If you know of any cannabis dispensaries on your typical morning or afternoon routes, consider taking another road to get to your destination. Even though there will likely be police surrounding these areas around April 20, they may not be able to stop every negligent driver.
Parks
Parks provide relaxing atmospheres that pot users enjoy taking advantage of. One of the most popular destinations on April 20 is at Civic Center Park, which hosts the Mile High 420 Festival. Even if these festival or park attendees come with designated drivers, there is bound to be excessive traffic in these parts of the city that you would not want any part of.
If you end up getting injured on the road despite all the precautions you took, make sure you know where to find legal assistance that can aid you in recovering from the damage.