Easter on 4/20, pot holy day; pastors reaching out

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Social media has been buzzing about Easter falling on April 20th this year — the pot-lover’s highest holiday.

No one is quite sure why April 20 — or 420 — is considered the ultimate day to smoke weed, but it’s been a tradition for decades.

Most people are joking about the unfortunate coincidence, but some churches are taking advantage of it to reach new audiences and share bigger messages.

In Los Angeles, the Freedom Church will start a four-week sermon series on seeking fulfillment through God. The advertisements for the series use medical marijuana imagery and puns to draw new faces to the pews.

And near Jackson, Miss., The Church Triumphant Global is holding a concert and “no weed” pledge after its traditional Easter service.