A Cannabis License Plate Auction, Just in Time for a Nuggets Playoff Run

The Colorado Disability Funding Committee was a little late in reintroducing its auction for cannabis-themed license plates this year, but it was just in time for the NBA playoffs...and the end of 4/20 celebrations.

For the fourth year in a row, the committee is auctioning off custom license plates with cannabis-centric names. Although most of the people who'd buy the plates were busy when the auction was announced at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, there's still time to win the right to drive around with "NUGGET," "420," "710," "REEFER" or one of six other weed references on the back of your car.

The cannabis license plate auction, an annual tradition since 2021, remains open until 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Over its first three years, this auction raised over $96,000 for the Colorado Disability Funding Committee, which distributes funds and creates programs to benefit the state's disability community. Past bidding options have included "BONGWTR" and "BLUNT," as well as a South Park nod with "TEGRIDY."

Other than "NUGGET" and "KIND" — both of which are clear weed references but carry some plausible deniability, especially as the Nuggets fight for another NBA championship — all of the license plates are pretty clear about their motivation.
Hemp lovers have a shoutout, too, with "COHEMP" an option this year, as well as "GRASS," "HILIFE," "EXTRACT" and "HASHISH."

Pretty sick, huh?

Anyone dedicated enough to get a "REEFER" or "HASHISH" license plate doesn't deserve to get pulled over, but I wouldn't expect a successful GoFundMe campaign for their legal defense. At its core, though, the cannabis license plate auction is for a good cause, and there's no making fun of that.

In the 2022 auction, rights to a "420" license fetched almost $10,000, but the license plate is for sale again this year.

"Individuals participating in the auction can bid on the right to own the use of the configuration of letters and numbers on their Colorado license plate or have the ability to purchase a novelty plate and retain the exclusive rights to use the configuration on their Colorado license plate at a later date," according to the disability committee. "The buyer also has the rights to resell the configuration through the Colorado Disability Funding Committee in the future."

As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, the current bid for "420" was almost $2,350, while "710," "HILIFE" and "REEFER" have also received bids over $1,000.

Don't spend all of your money on rights to the plate, though, because winners are responsible for paying all standard vehicle registration fees, as well as a personalized plate fee and any additional fee for a background other than Colorado's standard white and green.