The 4/20 celebrations were bigger than ever in the UK this year. Tens of thousands of cannabis consumers from across the country attended the flash gathering in Hyde Park, London that has been taking place each year since The Summer of Love 1967.

And the event in London was only one of many, with other events happening across the UK and beyond in Leeds, Manchester, Dublin and worldwide.

We travelled to London to Hyde Park for the biggest of the gatherings, and you can read about our time at the event below.

The sun was shining, the weather was sweet and so was the smell of ganja wafting up in the park as guests arrived throughout the day.

There were a few marquees, several stalls and a whole lot of people celebrating 420 in London’s Hyde Park this year. The event technically takes place at Speaker’s Corner (near Marble Arch tube station, 8 minutes walk from Bond Street), but there are so many people every year that it spreads across that whole part of the park.

While the Metro reported “more than 5000 people” were in attendance, the real number was closer to the 15,000 in attendance last year – potentially even more due to the hot weather and the fact that this year’s 420 fell on a Friday, one day closer to the weekend.

For an even which lacks any organisation save a facebook event this is certainly a stoner celebration to be reckoned with.

Every 420 we get a glance at the true potential of cannabis protests in the UK. People descend en-mass to the events, completely overwhelming attempts to criminalise them for consuming cannabis. Look at what happened in Leeds this year –  an injunction was filed, and the cannabis community fought it and won the right to hold their event without fear of arrest for every attendee upon arrival.

There were less police at this year’s Hyde Park event, and more attendees. To date we have only seen a handful of cautions and arrests at all the events we have attended and we should use the momentum to keep raising awareness for the benefits of cannabis across the country.

Times are changing worldwide, and if we continue to push for our right to consume cannabis then we should make headway in an already overstretched country which is cutting police numbers and council budgets left right and centre.

We hope to see you down at a 420 cannabis event next year – if you can get to London, Leeds, Manchester or any other big city in the UK then put the date in your diary because next year’s celebrations are set to be bigger than ever!

View our photos from 4/20 in Hyde Park on Facebook here

Read more articles about the 4/20 celebrations this year:

• Thousands attend 420 cannabis protests throughout the UK – Feed The Birds
• Record-Breaking Numbers At London Hyde Park 420 Gathering 2018 – UKCSC
• More than 5,000 weed smokers flock to Hyde Park for 4/20 – Metro