What Does '420' Mean?
Monday April 20, 2009
420 isn't the number of a bill in Congress to legalize pot, though many people believe it is.
420 isn't the police or penal code for marijuana possession in California or any other state, though many people believe that, as well.
Nor is 420 is the number of chemical compounds in cannabis, though many authors seem fond of stating so.
What "420" is, whether expressed in the form 4:20 (as a time of day), 4/20 (as a calendar date), or just the unadorned numeral itself (pronounced "four-twenty"), is a universal symbol for the use and appreciation of marijuana. In fact, 4/20 (April 20) is widely, though unofficially, known as Marijuana Appreciation Day.
Notwithstanding the many and various urban legends that have grown up about the 420/marijuana connection, the true story behind it is surprisingly prosaic. In the early 1970s a small group of hippie stoners at San Rafael High School in northern California used to meet at a designated location every day to smoke pot at 4:20 p.m. They did this so regularly that among members of the group "420" became a general euphemism for lighting up. The catchphrase spread beyond the immediate group, beyond the high school, and ultimately beyond California, so that within a decade or two pot smokers were using it across the country and indeed the world over.
Read more about it:
• 420 (Cannabis Culture) - Wikipedia
• Stoner Chic Traces Origin To San Rafael - SF Chronicle
• What's The Origin of '420' Pot Code? - Seattle Times
• The History Behind 420: A Counterculture Holiday - The Olympian
• '420' Enthusiasts Honor Cannabis on High Holiday - CBS News
Photo of cannabis leaves by Michel Porro / Getty Images
Comments
Hey Dave,
Are you of any relation to the Prince of Pot, Marc Emery? Why not do a peice on him since american potheads are drastically undereducated on the subject of his life of activism and his pending extradition.
No relation.
David
I learned something new today. I have heared all of those theories about 420, but never new the truth until now. Another piece of useless trivia to fill part of my brain (LOL). Thanks David.
It’s always 4:20 somewhere in the world. Yeeah!!!!!!
yu all no nothing about pot unless yu have smoked it witch it doesnt sound like yu ppl have
4/20 is also the birthdate of Adolf Hitler and this guy should have never been born! Nevertheless, nutheads around the world are still celebrating the day.
I Feel Marijuana Should be legalized. I understand that it kills brain cells but that’s not any harm to dumbasses anyway.
that kool i always wanted to know where the term 4:20 came from and thanks for educating the kids
Lots of different ideas about 420 but the real answer is:
4/20 actually originated from the best time of the year to plant your herbs. All other refernces are just spin offs from that fact.
This is blatanly false. The origins of the expressions came from England. The adults would have Tea Time at 4:20pm and that’s when the kids would go off to smoke pot and hang out. Just because some kids in Cali used it as a catch phrase means nothing.
BTW,”42″ is the meaning of life, according to “The Hitchhiker`s Guide To Galaxy”
Happy Holidays
This is so funny. I was called into HR this afternoon and told I had to go for random pee in a cup. I got back to my office, looked at the clock and it was 4:20. I thought that was funny but my co-worker didn’t get it. Just now when I saw this article did I realize that today was 4/20.
tyler g: You obviously know nothing about grammar or punctuation. Is English a second (or third) language for you? Maybe it’s the result of too much wacky weed!
LOL John, I was thinking the same thing. Not helping the case much, is he?
I tried pot once; hated the way it made me feel, all loopy and out of control. It’s a very dangerous situation to put ones self in. Not to mention the long term effects, which are evident in a few people I know who have smoked it for a long time.
Wow… I am utterly stunned at the ignorance and gullibility of some people, not to mention some people’s misconception that they are so special that they need to chime in on subjects that they know nothing about… educate yourself, then your “input” might actually bring something to the table…
Steven Hager the Editor-in-Chief of High Times Magazine will give you a little background on the subject… now go learn something, by (now here’s a novel idea) doing some research… Wow
Hey in india, the number 420 actually is in reference to article 420 of the Indian Penal Code