For quite some time now, marijuana enthusiasts have been searching for affective ways to de-stigmatize cannabis as a whole.

From avid users sharing their stories on how marijuana helped them cope with illnesses, to industry executives spending millions in marketing dollars to change the way we view the substance, many within the community are doing their part to help make marijuana a little more mainstream.

Take the 420 Games for example; this is without question one of the most creative ways to combat the social stigma of marijuana.

The 420 Games is a series of marijuana-themed events, established by Jim McAlpine, to help change the way we think about weed. Think of it as the Olympics, but for stoners. Sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it?

In a past interview, McAlpine told Elite Daily,

We're coming off decades of negative propaganda stigmatizing cannabis use. We've all been lied to. It's a bad rap and we need to change the dialogue. There are millions of people who use marijuana in effective, healthy and productive ways. We plan to show this to the world via athletic achievement.

Who wouldn't want to forge a new outlook on marijuana by smoking and kicking ass at the same time?

Marijuana users are constantly perceived as the laziest, most unmotivated people in the world, and the 420 Games can help change that.

The event series takes place in the 420-friendly states of California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Wishful participants can purchase tickets (starting at $40) to take part in the signature 4.20 mile "fun run" race followed by beer tasting and good concert vibes.

Interested in attending? Purchase tickets here for the dates listed below:

• Los Angeles - Santa Monica Pier: March 26, 2016
• Seattle - Warren G. Magnuson Park: July 31, 2016
• San Francisco - Golden Gate Park: August 27, 2016
• Colorado - Boulder Reservoir: October 1, 2016

Citations: The Olympics of Weed Are Coming to a City Near You (City Lab)