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Massachusetts cannabis company makes 4/20 a paid holiday

Massachusetts cannabis company makes 4/20 a paid holiday
Massachusetts cannabis company makes 4/20 a paid holiday 00:24

BOSTON – Thursday is April 20, a day to celebrate in the cannabis community. And one Massachusetts cannabis company is taking that a step further.

Temescal Wellness, which has three dispensaries in Massachusetts, says it is the first cannabis company to make 4/20 a paid holiday.

The company also has a production facility and a corporate office.

Temescal said all of its employees are off on Thursday for the "high holiday."

"4/20 is a day to show appreciation, love and respect for cannabis and its power to help amplify the health and happiness that people experience in their daily lives," director of retail and customer engagement Sian Leininger said. "For us, it's a day to celebrate our employees, whose passion, knowledge and true dedication inspires their unparalleled service to our customers and our community all of the other days of the year."

The number 420 has become associated with marijuana use. The reason why traces back to a California high school in the 1970s.

As the story goes, students would meet at 4:20 p.m. each day on campus to smoke marijuana. The group developed a relationship with the Grateful Dead, and the band helped the term become more widespread.

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