2024 A Look Back: Audacity award
For some, the “Stoner’s Ball” was the “high” point of the year. File photo
It makes potheads giggle and cops roll their eyes, and in Western North Carolina this year, the stoner holiday 4/20 became newsworthy.
An event to commemorate the special weekend was held Friday and Saturday, April 19 and 20, at the Smoky Mountain Event Center in Haywood County, and it drew the scrutiny of some in the community.
However, it also drew a huge crowd and by all accounts was an unblemished success. There were 1,000 presale tickets available for 4/20, and those sold out well ahead of the event.
The founder of the feast was Jo Ellyn Woodward, known to most as the Blunt Queen. The Blunt Queen image has been carefully cultivated, and she can often be seen at either of her cannabis dispensaries in Spindale or Maggie Valley wearing a sort of crown made up of partially smoked blunts. While Woodward’s event had strict no-marijuana policy and no-alcohol policy, she did have plenty of Delta 8 — a substance that produces a similar psychotropic effect to weed — on hand.
Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke voiced his concerns in a statement ahead of the event.
“Delta 8, the substance that supposedly will be distributed at this event, has a significant effect of impairment (getting high) when used, and is virtually indistinguishable from organic plant grown marijuana when consumed,” Wilke wrote. “As such, I have significant concerns about the security and safety of attendees, and their activities following the event, particularly travel.”
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But Woodward soldiered on, her commitment to providing an elevated experience in Haywood County unwavering. The event brought in cast and crew members from multiple TV shows, including “Moonshiners” and “Master Distillers,” as well as over 40 vendors selling all kinds of wares, from jewelry to soaps to clothing.
And, of course, there were food trucks to quickly quell any munchies attacks.
Following the event, Woodward was proud to say that there were no health or safety issues that stemmed from the event. It isn’t yet known whether the Stoner’s Ball will become an annual tradition.
