[Blackburn News – Adelle Loiselle] There are no big protests planned in Windsor, but pot-smokers are recognizing 4:20.

At Higher Limits, Windsor’s first cannabis lounge, co-owner Jon Liedtke says even though there appears to be greater social acceptance of recreational marijuana use, it’s still an important day to mark on the calendar.

“Especially when you consider the dragging of the feet that we’re seeing right now from the federal government,” he says referring to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge during the election campaign to legalize marijuana. “Overall I don’t think things are moving as quickly as our people were expecting.”

At the United Nations, federal Health Minister Jane Philpott announced her government will be ready to introduce legislation this spring to legalize and regulate marijuana, although she didn’t offer any details.

Greater social acceptance may have changed the way Canadians advocate for change in marijuana laws too.

“We have a space now, here in Windsor to congregate at,” says Liedtke. “I think that the hard protesting directly to government isn’t necessary now. It can be more so the way that other groups organize, such as indoors, among friends and talking about what they want to achieve.”

Events are planned in cities across North America, and at Higher Limits, Liedtke says there’s a concert featuring a number of acts including local favourites, The Walkervilles.

While the club caters to social marijuana smokers and those who imbibe for medical reasons, he expects much of the crowd won’t be partaking.

“What we’ve found is that there are people who do come here who don’t consume cannabis on a regular basis, but they have friends who do,” says Liedtke.

The term “4:20” is used by people wishing to identify with cannabis culture. It’s said to date back to 1971 when a group of high school students in San Rafael, California attempted to find an abandoned crop of marijuana.