On April 20 – and 4/20 – cannabis advocates from all over the globe gather to honor the cannabis plant in several ways. Last year, thousands of people gathered in cities all over the country to ingest marijuana in both legal and illegal areas. If you are unfamiliar with the term “420” as it is in marijuana culture, here is an explanation of what does 420 mean?
What Does 420 Mean?
Everyone knows that 4:20 is the best time to smoke marijuana. And everyone knows that 4/20 is international marijuana smoking day. But few people, including the earliest and most ardent marijuana smokers, know how or why the number 420 had become associated with marijuana smoking.
Origin
In 1971, the term “420” was first connected with marijuana use.
It was around this time of day when a gang of California students in high school known as the “Waldos” decided to get together to look for a rumored abandoned stash of marijuana. The students would gather at 4:20 p.m. on the premises of San Rafael High School next to a statue of Louis Pasteur to search for the crop. When somebody of the Waldos named for just a “4:20 Louis,” everyone was to gather at the statue to look for the marijuana.
“4:20 Louis” eventually just became “4:20,” and the amount was recognized as a call to search for the abandoned marijuana but as a slang term for smoking marijuana.
In 1970, members of the Grateful Dead relocated from San Francisco to the San Rafael area. They knew some of the Waldos’ parents and ultimately selected the expression and started using it.
The term spread beyond San Rafael thanks to the Grateful Dead and an article about the Waldos in “High Times.” Another article in the magazine claimed that 4:20 was indeed an “acceptable” time to use cannabis.
Thing To Know
- Some believe that “420” is the police code for “marijuana smoking in progress.” Some people are aware that 4/20 also is Adolf Hitler’s birthday. Some even quote Bob Dylan’s song because 12 times 35 equals 420.
- April 20 is when people gather to smoke marijuana all over the country and the world. It is frequently given aside on that day in locations where it would be illegal to sell it.
- Some believe the number 420 relates to Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix’s anniversaries. No, it does not. On April 20, neither died.
- It is also not a police protocol for someone who is smoking marijuana.
- Snapchat users are expected to be able to display a 420 graphic.
To put it bluntly, the rumors about how April 20 became linked with cannabis are false