North Texas Daily

During mid-evening this past Thursday, the smell of cigarettes, burgers and popcorn could be detected in the air. A master of ceremonies seemed to be doing some giveaways of sorts from the stage, but people were slow to respond — slow but chipper. The roughly 200 people in attendance seemed enjoyable.

On that Thursday, something was different.

Bands had played throughout the day since noon, featuring locals on the stage set up in the shopping center’s parking lot. A ‘Register to Vote’ table stood in front of Inkaholics Tattoo Company. Everyone seemed strangely aware of what day it was, smiling through bloodshot eyes and sporting shirts emblazoned with strange green leaves.

That Thursday was April 20.

A hula-hoop dancer performs with fire during the Ashes 420 festival. Kyle Martin

They’re just high on marijuana at the annual Ashes Smoke Shop 420 Festival at 420 S. Carroll Boulevard.

“I like any opportunity to come out and support the cause,” says Nick Simpson, 43, a dedicated member of the Dallas chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or the DFW NORML.

He’d been the grillmaster for the day since 11 a.m.

“I love cooking and I love feeding hungry stoners,” Simpson said. “As fast as we could grill them, they were getting munched down. But they were good tippers.”

He said he remembered feeding one hungry patron at least six burgers and, after looking back at the small mountain of empty boxes behind him, realized that throughout the day he and his crew flamed up over 1,000 meat circles and popped over 25 pounds of kernels from the “biggest bag of popcorn I’ve ever seen.” By then end of the night, they would have served even more food, all of which was given away free of charge.

“I think in a non-legal state, it is important to let everybody know that the world’s not going to melt because there’s some weed being smoked and because people enjoy marijuana,” he said. “We’ve seen it in a bunch of legal states. They haven’t melted down, everybody’s still okay. Texas just needs to join them.”

The crowd is especially diverse for a block party; young and old, well-dressed and homeless, male and female, high and not.

In the same shopping center, Inkaholics Tattoo Company had $20 and $40 flash-tattoos, offering house-designed graphics to permanently stab into someone’s skin should they decide to hand over the cash.  

“This year, they asked us to participate, so we’re going to participate,” said Alberto Noriega, 22, of Inkaholics Tattoo Co.

He said he got into tattoos after his uncle got out of prison when he was a teenager and started learning about the trade.

“I don’t really know anything about 4/20, I just know a lot of people get together, and stuff like that, for the weed,” Noriega said.

Outside of the tattoo shop, a local metal band by the name of Orcanaut was gearing up for their set onstage. While they got ready, the M.C. hashed out more giveaways of weed-related trinkets and goodies. One giveaway was a care-package with Dr. Dabber-brand devices, merch, paraphernalia and a Toker Poker, an “all-in-one kit for your concentrates.”

There was not a cop in sight at this time, except for the few cop cars across the street who just pulled over someone. It must have been a joint operation.

Trent Wood stands outside Ashes Smoke Shop in Denton as a winner of one of the event’s raffle give-aways. Tonight, Wood walked away with assorted Dr. Dabber brand gifts, some of which made up what the event’s master of ceremonies called an ‘all-in-one kit’ for different smoking needs. Kyle Martin

Meanwhile, the M.C. advised everyone that they had to be in attendance to receive the free products and, after naming off two raffle ticket numbers of patrons who clearly ignored him and snuck off, he called the name of an ecstatic Trent Wood to the stage.

Wood said he was a little shocked because he “doesn’t usually win nothin’.” He was just here for fun.

“I work a lot and needed to get out of the house,” he said.

The M.C., using the weight of the crowd to dab into some of Wood’s expert insight, asked him what he would do with his newfound products.

Calculated, Wood paused. Into the microphone he spoke, and the crowd was hush except for everyone talking in the background. Wood, in plain-sight for the world to hear, gave his answer.

“I’m gonna use it,” Wood said. 

Featured Image: On April 20; 2017 many Americans smoked marijuana whether it was legal or not. This day has been known as national ‘Weed Day’ for decades. Kyle Martin