To celebrate the informal cannabis holiday of 4/20, diners at eden restaurant will feast on marijuana-infused beet salad, poached flounder and a pork shoulder paired with mocktails – with no alcohol.

The $210 gourmet meal at the Avondale eatery will cater to a growing interest in weed and a declining taste for booze, chef Devon Quinn said. Diners likely will get high, but won’t be stumbling out drunk, he said.

“We have seen a significant trends towards less alcohol consumption,” Quinn said. “People are becoming more mindful of the negative impacts of alcohol. But we still want to have cool dining experiences, and this is another way to do it.”

The dinner is on the upscale end of a wide variety of events being held to celebrate April 20. According to popular lore, the cannabis holiday was named after a group of friends who used to meet regularly at 4:20 p.m. to get high.

Since recreational cannabis was legalized in Illinois starting in 2020, sales of the drug have increased to $2 billion a year. The holiday this year has morphed into a weekend-long cultural celebration, and a marketing event for businesses.

Stores offer special discounts and giveaways, and see a surge in business, capitalizing on a growing commercial trend.  The rate of people reporting past-year use of cannabis more than doubled from 2008 to 2022, based on data from the federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

After a spike in alcohol sales since the COVID pandemic in 2020, sales of wine, beer, and spirits have fallen recently. Younger adults, especially, are more likely to use cannabis and less likely to drink alcohol.

While cannabis remains far behind alcohol in popularity, about 15% of people say they use marijuana, and more Americans are now choosing it for daily consumption than alcohol, according to a study last year in the journal Addiction.

Americans increasingly view alcohol as unhealthy, with recent studies linking alcohol to cancer, and federal health officials attribute 178,000 deaths a year to excess drinking. Even though Gallup polls show a slim majority considers marijuana harmful, most say it’s less harmful than alcohol.

Still, it’s not harmless. Recent studies showing cannabis is associated with a substantially increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and a higher risk of dementia and psychosis.

Nevertheless, cannabis users will be out in force at age 21 and older events across the Chicago area this weekend.

Dispensary 33, which with its partner Spark’d, are the first fully employee-owned pot stores in Illinois, is hosting Studio 420 at nearby Pizza Lobo in Andersonville.

Running from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Studio 420 aims to create a disco atmosphere with Plugged into the Universe DJs, an Aeriz dab bar, a smooth smoking device, a weed fairy giving out goodies, Them Bad Apples Bboy Crew bustin’ moves, and a meet and greet with rapper King Louie. Roger Rickshaw will provide transportation between the venues. The event is free but has limited space, so requires advance registration.

The Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition High Rollers Game Night will offer games, raffles and a vape bar run from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Walls Turned Sideways,, an art gallery created by people who are formerly or currently incarcerated.

Public consumption remains illegal in Illinois, and consumption lounges remain rare, but several events will bring smokers together in private spaces.

Stash Dispensary in Orland Hills will use its consumption lounge, so far used only for events, to host its 4th annual Holding it Down for the Underground bash, from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, sponsored by Legacy cannabis. $25 tickets are required.

Going beyond cannabis, advocates will hold a bike ride to destigmatize psychedelics and fungi use, from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, at Palmer Square Park.

Prohibition THCafe will hold a 420 Smoke Fest, starting with yoga and tea at 10 am, and culminating with a concert by Crucial Conflict and others at neighboring Reggies Rock Club starting at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

Bud & Rita dispensaries are featuring a variety of special events this week, including psychics, caricature artists, glass blowing and ash tray painting.

Spark’d dispensaries will hold special events at their various locations, including the second annual Stoner Olympics at the dispensary and consumption lounge in far north suburban Winthrop Harbor, challenging attendees to joint rolling contests.

420 at the Honeycomb Hideout in Addison will offer a “weedster” egg hunt, a complimentary toast, Mr. CBD mocktails, smoking, dabbing, and a complimentary vapor bar, 2-5 p.m. Sunday.

Extending the 420 concept by a week, a 420 Finale with cannabis grower and promoter Jungle Cae will feature DJs, pizza and smoking from 1-5 p.m. April 27th. Tickets are required.

And for those willing to travel a bit farther afield, actor Woody Harrelson’s Woodchella will feature music and cannabis all day Sunday at The Woods WeHo in West Hollywood, Calif.