If you’re lighting up (or popping an edible) this 4/20, Cresco Labs has a message for you: we deserve better emojis.
The parent company of Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary, with a location in Oakland Park and Fort Lauderdale, is calling on cannabis users to sign a petition to Apple for better weed emojis.
“As a community, we are fed up with using broccoli and tree emojis to talk about cannabis in texting,” Dana Mason, vice president of brand and commercial marketing at Cresco Labs, said in a press release. “With cannabis acceptance at an all-time high, it’s time to make our voices heard and demand better representation for emojis that will allow us to fully express ourselves and celebrate all the benefits that this amazing plant has to offer.”
Typically, cannabis users have to settle for the broccoli, fire or tree emoji when texting with friends. Cresco Labs is proposing three emojis to Apple: two fingers holding a blunt, a marijuana leaf, and a smiley face with marijuana leaves for eyes.
Those wanting to participate in the survey can fill it out here, and the results will be shared with Apple after July 10 — another cannabis holiday, 7/10, for THC oil.
In Florida, voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016. Patients can get access to THC products with a prescription or a “marijuana card.” However, recreational marijuana is still illegal — and advocates are pushing to change this. According to the CDC, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug; 18% of Americans said they had tried it at least once. That’s over 48 million people.