Even though marijuana is now legal in California, Coachella is telling attendees to keep it from the grounds of its festival this spring.
While California’s new state law allows for pot to be grown and sold on a general basis, it still gives cities and towns the authority to prohibit sales of the plant, though cities and towns must allow for all residents to keep and use pot privately. Neighboring towns in Riverside County, like Palm Springs, allow its residents to publicly smoke, but Indio, the desert town that hosts Coachella, has chosen to keep pot sales and public use illegal.
And even though Coachella takes place on private property, event organizers have decided to abide by Indio’s laws. Coachella’s FAQ page even directly notifies people that festival policy hasn’t changed despite the new state law: “Sorry bro,” it reads. “Marijuana and marijuana products aren’t allowed inside [the festival]. Even in 2018 and beyond. If that changes, we’ll update this answer.”
So, if you wanted to light one up during The Weeknd’s headline set on 4/20, it looks like you’re out of luck.
Still, that likely won’t stop fest goers, who are known to light up in droves at the annual festival, from bringing some of the green stuff anyway.