Gustine going green? City celebrates 4/20 holiday, months after its first dispensary opens
On Wednesday afternoon, Fresno resident Karie Kuehl and her nine-month-old pit bull terrier, Nala Harley, set up a booth at Gustine’s first-ever April 20, or 4/20, celebration.
On a table along 4th Street, Kuehl arranged colorful knickknacks one would need to consume cannabis, like bongs and pipes, as well as 420-inspired backpacks and dog toys. She was accompanied by Nala Harley, who sported a Rasta hat complete with faux dreadlocks and toted a plush blunt toy, which she preferred to a stuffed, fuzzy bong Kuehl placed next to the pup.
“There’s a lot of us, including myself, that have medical issues,” said Kuehl, sporting a Bob Marley tank top and a headscarf in the colors of the Jamaican flag. “When [cannabis] is used responsibly and safely, there’s no reason it’s not a good thing.”
The first-of-its-kind event was an introduction of sorts for Gustine’s first dispensary, Tip Top Farms. While it opened in January, the dispensary opted to have a celebration of the world of cannabis on 4/20, which is a common slang term for cannabis.
“That is a holiday for the cannabis dispensaries and for people who smoke cannabis,” said Robert Villalobos, one of three owners of Tip Top Farms.
Tip Top might be the first dispensary in Gustine, but not in Merced County. There are eight other ones, all in Merced or Atwater. The shop is also the latest Merced County cannabis business to join a $99 billion industry nationwide, according to MJ Biz Daily.
Other numbers point to a burgeoning industry not just nationally, but also in California in particular. Since cannabis was legalized in the Golden State with the passage of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act in 2016, the state’s industry has grown so much that sales are projected to increase to $6.37 billion, according to global business database Statista, up from $5.62 billion in 2020.
Much of this business comes from those who use cannabis for medicinal purposes. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 45.5% of people with medical conditions reported using marijuana exclusively to aid with medical conditions. While there are also health risks associated with consuming cannabis, JAMA reported in a 2019 study, there is evidence the drug is an effective medication to alleviate neuropathic pain.
While any consumption or possession of cannabis was once illegal in the state, the legalization of the drug brought changes to how law enforcement treats cannabis-related incidents, many of which aren’t crimes anymore.
Because of the shifting paradigm, Gustine’s 4/20 celebration had the support of the Gustine Police Department, the city’s police chief said.
“It’s one of those things you just have to have your thought process geared towards the future,” said Gustine police Chief Ruben Chavez. “It’s a different culture right now. Nowadays, it’s something that people use for medicinal reasons and recreational use. Me, as a police chief, I’ve embraced it and support it.”
As people began to trickle into the celebration on Wednesday afternoon, the band Slightly Stoopid’s ode to cannabis, “No Cocaine,” blared from the loudspeakers: “Girl, I love you, Mary Jane,” crooned singers Miles Doughty and Kyle McDonald. Attendees smoked joints and strolled among booths featuring skull-shaped bongs painted in the colors of the Jamaican flag and selling Hawaiian barbecue.
At least one city resident said the cannabis celebration was long overdue.
“I like this. This is the first time Gustine’s had anything like it,” said Sandra Murry, a Gustine resident who is a longtime cannabis fan. “We’ll be bouncing in and out of the bars. We’ll be here all day.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 10:06 AM.