Marijuana plants hidden in plain sight for 4/20 stunt
Look, there's been a lot of 4/20 stunts popping up around the joint. A lot.
Not all of them are great, but a bunch of marijuana plants hidden in plain sight, not hurting anyone? We're in.
Australian artists installed "cannabis" plants all over Sydney's central business district on April 20 (also known as 4/20, international marijuana day), in an effort to draw attention to the country's debate around cannabis legalisation.
If you're thinking of stealing some free pot, we've got some bad news for you. The plants aren't real. They're movie props, as the act of owning cannabis plants without a medicinal manufacturing license, or giving away free cannabis is, you guessed it, illegal. But it's the thought that counts, right?
It's a promotional stunt by Sydney artists Craze Co and Ballin’ On A Budget in conjunction with Australia’s largest cannabis and hemp event, the Hemp Health and Innovation Expo, which is happening on May 12 and 13. The promo campaign has been dubbed "Who Are We Hurting?"
“The sad fact is everybody knows that cannabis isn’t nearly as bad for people as, say, alcohol or cigarettes," said Craze in a statement. "But no-one wants to talk about it because it has such a stigma. We’re just hoping to get people talking”
The plants have been installed in Darling Harbour, Foundation Park, McMahon’s Point Wharf and Martin Place, with a full list of locations available here.
So, where does Australia sit with cannabis? Medicinal production was legalised in the country on Oct. 30, 2016, but owning a marijuana plant in Australia is illegal without a medicinal cultivation, production or research license, and only 35 have of those have been issued nationwide so far.
As of April 13, Australians prescribed with medical cannabis will be able to access it within two days — previously it took months. Plus, as of January, the Australian government permitted the export of medicinal cannabis, to help Australian producers by strengthening the opportunities for domestic manufacturers.
Hemp foods are legal and available in Australian stores, after federal legalisation in November 2017.
Recreational cannabis has not yet been decriminalised, although the Victorian Government was presented with a 640-page parliamentary report in March to consider it. The Australian Greens party has recently called for legalisation, but this has been blocked by the Federal Government.
Topics Cannabis
Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about entertainment, tech, social good, science, culture, and Australian horror.
