Buying and smoking weed in the desert has never been as easy as Phoenix has made it in 2024. The affectionately named Valley of the Sun is quickly becoming a destination for stoner tourists from Arizona and across the country.
A total of 200 legal weed stores operate across the state, including 58 in Phoenix. The city also boasts 420-friendly hotels, short-term rentals, and marijuana consumption lounges to make your visit during this stoner holiday an absolute blast.
What to know about smoking weed in Phoenix
Arizona voters legalized adult-use marijuana back in November 2020, and dispensaries started selling the plant for recreational use on January 1, 2021. Proposition 207, known as the “Safe and Smart Act,” allows adults 21 and older to buy up to one ounce of flower or up to five grams of concentrated THC.
Buying adult-use weed in Phoenix is as simple as walking into a dispensary and showing a government-issued ID — such as a driver’s license or passport — that proves you’re 21 or older. Medical patients can buy up to 2.5 ounces of flower or up to 12.5 grams of concentrates, but you need a state-issued medical card from Arizona. The state doesn’t allow reciprocity, so medical marijuana cards from other states won’t be accepted when purchasing medical weed.
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Finding somewhere to legally use the plant can be tricky. The law allows marijuana consumption only at licensed lounges or at a private residence with the owner’s permission. Smoking in public places, including parks and sidewalks, can land you a $500 fine, and smoking in most enclosed public places, like buildings, restaurants, and bars, is also off-limits.
If you’re visiting Phoenix from outside of Arizona, only buy enough weed to cover what you can consume while you’re visiting. It’s illegal to bring cannabis from Phoenix across state borders, even if you’re going home to neighboring weed-legal states like California or Nevada.
420 events in Phoenix
Despite its rules and restrictions, Phoenix offers plenty of events for you to make the absolute most of the 420 holiday. From block parties and concerts to outdoor smoke fests and nightclub shows, the Valley of the Sun has plenty going on before, during, and after 4/20.
Buds-a-Palooza
Kick off 420 weekend with live music, stoner movies, stand-up comedy, glass-blowing, art, and more at the third-annual Buds-a-Palooza. Set on April 19, this block party will feature countless events, and there will be less than eight hours to experience them all.
The main stage will include reggae group Hip Abduction, rapper Shwayze, and R&B singer Eli-Mac, while a giant screen will play the classic stoner flicks Pineapple Express, Friday, and Half-Baked. Arizona’s top glass masters, including Hend and Brian Jacobson, will be showing off their craft, and comedians Steve Gillespie, Celia Contreras, and Jerry Rider will be among more than ten performers keeping visitors laughing inside a pop-up comedy lounge.
Weedmaps will have a Fast Pass Entry Lane for the event, meaning attendees who download the WM app can use it to get into Buds-a-Palooza faster. We’ll also give away free WM merch to people who use the app.
- Address: 5th Street & Garfield in Downtown Phoenix — 901 North 5th St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
- Time: April 19, 4:20 pm – 11:59 pm
- Price: $50 – $75
The 2nd Annual Arizona Bud Fest
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The Arizona Bud Fest is a 420 celebration and car show—it will feature cannabis vendors, 420 flicks, live music, and plenty of contests to determine the best buds, vehicles, and food at the event. Expect lots of product and munchie giveaways.
Attendees will vote on the competitions, including a smoke-off challenge, a battle of the buds, a hydraulic jump-off, and a weed-infused cook-off.
- Address: Budz Smoke Lounge Events Center — 2431 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008
- Time: April 19, 11:20 am – 8:00 pm
- Price: $54.20 – $74.20
Reefer Roadshow
Start the 420 holiday a couple of days early with a drive-in movie outside of Story Cannabis. The classic Half Baked will play on the evening of April 18. Each ticket sold includes a free burger, drink, and bag of popcorn, along with two swag bags per car filled with products from Canamo, Wana, Sonoran Roots, and more.
Best of all: you don’t have to stay in your car. Vendors will be on hand to showcase their latest weed goodies, and Story Cannabis will have games for guests to win prizes.
- Address: Story Cannabis North Chandler — 17006 S Weber Dr, Chandler, AZ 85226
- Time: April 18, 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
- Price: $35
Crossfaded at The Grand
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Celebrate the night of 4/20 in the heart of downtown Phoenix with a live DJ, cannabis vendors, and plenty of munchies. The four-hour event will be held across The Grand nightclub’s three rooms, each offering different sensory experiences to maximize your high.
The Grand’s main room draws on English architecture and the serenity of a vineyard, while its “Sanctum” room aims to mimic a vintage New Orleans bordello. The “Ghost Ship” room offers an immersive fantasy modeled after a stranded, derelict galleon.
- Address: The Grand — 718 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85004
- Time: April 20, 6 pm – 10:00 pm
- Price: $15 (Free for the first 100 registered medical cannabis cardholders)
AZ 420 Hangover
Also presented by Story Cannabis, this event extends the stoner holiday’s merriment for another day and eight more hours of revelry. The extravaganza will include activities to entertain, teach, and immerse attendees in a vibrant weed culture.
Food trucks will be available for those post-420 cravings, while DJs across a mix of genres will keep the energy high. This event will also showcase local artists and their latest cannabis-inspired masterpieces.
- Address: Walter Studios — 747 W Roosevelt St, Phoenix, AZ 85007
- Time: April 21, 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Price: $10 – $50
Written by Chris Kudialis | Featured image by Chris Tingom on Unsplash
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