Happy 4/20! What the "High Holiday" Means for Healthcare

April 20th has come a long way from its origins. What started in 1971 as a group of San Rafael, California high schoolers , the now-legendary "Waldos", meeting at 4:20 pm to search for an abandoned cannabis crop, has evolved into an internationally recognized cultural moment.

But at PTCannabisInfo, 4/20 means something a little different to us.

It's a reminder of how far we've come, and how far we still need to go.

Cannabis has a 5,000-year history as a medicinal plant, from Emperor Shen Nung's ancient Chinese pharmacopeia to Dr. William O'Shaughnessy's clinical trials in 19th-century India, to The Lancet publishing findings that cannabis was superior to opiates for certain conditions back in 1898. And yet, thanks to a deeply political campaign in the 1930s, cannabis spent decades stripped from the U.S. Pharmacopeia and classified as a Schedule I substance — no medical value, high abuse potential.

Today, the science is catching up. Patients are already there: surveys consistently show high rates of cannabis use among the populations physical therapists serve — for pain, sleep, anxiety, and more. The gap that concerns us isn't between cannabis and medicine. It's between patient use and clinician confidence.

That's why PTCannabisInfo exists.

So this 4/20, whether you're a PT, a PTA, a student, or simply someone curious about the plant, take a moment to reflect: the most impactful thing a healthcare professional can do is be informed and approachable on this topic.

Your patients are already having the conversation. Are you ready to join them?

🌿 PTCannabisInfo provides evidence-based cannabis education for healthcare professionals. Contact us to learn more.