420 (cannabis culture) explained
420, 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption, especially smoking around the time 4:20 p.m. (16:20). It also refers to cannabis-oriented celebrations that take place annually on April 20 (4/20 in U.S. date form).[1] [2]
Origins
In 1971, five high school students in San Rafael, California,[3] [4] used the term "4:20" in connection with a plan to search for an abandoned cannabis crop, based on a treasure map made by the grower.[5] [6] Calling themselves the Waldos,[7] [8] because their typical hang-out spot "was a wall outside the school",[9] the five students—Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich[10] —designated the Louis Pasteur statue[11] on the grounds of San Rafael High School as their meeting place, and 4:20 p.m. as their meeting time. The Waldos referred to this plan with the phrase "4:20 Louis". After several failed attempts to find the crop, the group eventually shortened their phrase to "4:20", which ultimately evolved into a code-word the teens used to refer to consuming cannabis.[5]
Steven Hager of High Times popularized the story of the Waldos.[12] The first High Times mention of 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 holiday appeared in May 1991[13] and erroneously attributed the origin of the term to a police code; this and other spurious incorrect origin stories became common.[14] The connection to the Waldos appeared in December 1998. Hager attributed the early spread of the phrase to Grateful Dead followers—after "Waldo" Reddix became a roadie for the Grateful Dead's bassist, Phil Lesh—and called for 4:20 p.m. to be the socially accepted time of the day to consume cannabis.[15]
Another San Rafael group claims to have originated the term before the Waldos.[16]
International observance of April 20
April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday based on the celebration and consumption of cannabis.[17] [18] Events typically advocate for cannabis liberalization and legalization. Vivian McPeak, a founder of Seattle's Hempfest, states that 4/20 is "half celebration and half call to action".[19] Paul Birch calls it a global movement and suggests that one cannot stop events like these.[20]
Many marijuana users protest in civil disobedience by gathering in public to smoke at 4:20 p.m.[21]
As marijuana continues to be decriminalized and legalized around the world, cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo notes that "even if our activist work were complete, 420 morphs from a statement of conscience to a celebration of acceptance, a celebration of victory, a celebration of our amazing connection with this plant" which "will always be worthy of celebration".[22] [23]
In North America
North American observances have been held at many locations, including:
Washington Square Park in Manhattan[24]
Boston Common
"Hippie Hill" in Golden Gate Park near the Haight-Ashbury[25]
Porter College meadows at the University of California, Santa Cruz[26] [27]
National Mall, United States Capitol[28] [29]
The Vancouver Art Gallery[30] [31] and Sunset Beach between 2016 and 2019.[32]
Le Mont Royal George-Étienne Cartier Monument[33] [34]
Civic Center Park[35]
Parliament Hill and Major's Hill Park[36] [37]
campus of the University of Colorado Boulder[39] [40] [41] [42]
Nathan Phillips Square[43] and Yonge-Dundas Square[44]
campus of the University of California, Berkeley on the Memorial Glade north of the Doe Memorial Library.[45]
Mexican Senate under the slogan Planton 420.[46]
Hash Bash
Loop 420 Fest at Delmar Loop (University City)[47]
In Australia
Australian observances have been held at many locations, over many years, including:
Elsewhere
Events have also been held in Hyde Park in London[59] and Dunedin, New Zealand, at the University of Otago.[60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65]
In Ljubljana, Slovenia, the University of Ljubljana's student organization has carried out several annual cannabis-themed protests that have contributed to the debate on cannabis status in Slovenia and the subsequent legislation proposals in 2018 by gathering responses from various political parties in Slovenia and ranking them accordingly.[66] [67]
In Northern Cyprus, known for strict drug laws and intolerance to cannabis consumption,[68] the first 420 event was held in the capital city Lefkoşa in 2015. On April 20, 2017, a small group of protesters carried out an event near the parliament building and made a public statement, demanding the legalization of cannabis sale, consumption, and production with state regulations.[69]
Other effects
Traffic safety
Despite two studies reporting a supposed increase in the risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes on April 20,[70] [71] further investigation and analysis found the evidence did not support such claims.[72] [73] [74] [75]
Stolen signs
In the US, signs bearing the number 420 have been frequently stolen. In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on I-70 east of Denver with one reading 419.99 in an attempt to stop the thievery.[76] The Colorado DOT usually will not replace signs that are repeatedly taken, but began the practice of replacing further down the road after "69" mile marker signs were frequently stolen—these were replaced with "68.5 mile" ones. The Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD) replaced the mile marker 420 sign on U.S. Highway 95, just south of Coeur d'Alene, with mile marker 419.9.[77] The Washington State Department of Transportation implemented similar measures,[78] but only replaced one of the two 420 signs in the state, with the remaining one being subsequently stolen.[79] According to The Washington Post, there are eleven 420 mile markers in the US, after three replacements and one stolen and not replaced.[80] In Goodhue County, Minnesota, officials have changed "420 St" street signs to "42x St".[81] The mile marker 420 sign on U.S. Route 89, the only 420 marker in the state of Utah, is frequently stolen.[82]
Legislation and other government recognition
In 2003, California Senate Bill 420 was introduced to regulate medical marijuana use. An unsuccessful 2010 bill to legalize cannabis in Guam was called Bill 420.[83] A North Dakota bill to legalize cannabis was HB 1420, introduced in January 2021.[84]
The Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act (which if enacted would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis in the United States) was announced by Senator and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) on April 20, 2018.[85] [86] On January 9, 2019, H.R. 420 was introduced into the 116th Congress by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), named the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which is designed to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and return regulation to the states.[87]
The State of Colorado auctioned off several cannabis-themed personalized license plates in 2021, with the bidding to be closed on April 20 (4/20). The highest bid shortly before the auction closed was over $6,500 for "ISIT420".
Following the success of Washington, D.C.'s Initiative 71 to legalize cannabis in 2014, Mayor Muriel Bowser granted license plate number 420 to the campaign's leader, Adam Eidinger.[88]
Literature
Several books about cannabis have "420" in the title, including the cannabis cookbooks The 420 Cannabis Cookbook, published by Simon & Schuster,[89] and The 420 Gourmet published in 2016 by HarperCollins.
Elon Musk controversy
In 2018, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he planned to take his company private at $420 a share. The price was widely considered to be a marijuana reference. A jury found him not liable in 2023 for misleading investors. Musk testified during the trial that any associations with cannabis were coincidental.[90] [91] Musk later went to purchase Twitter in 2022 at a price per share of $54.20, acknowledging the reference to marijuana culture and because his girlfriend thought it was funny.[92]
Commerce
Some American restaurants offer "420" themed promotions to coincide with April 20.
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Thousands at UCSC burn one to mark cannabis holiday . Matt . King . April 24, 2007 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070426081319/http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/April/24/local/stories/08local.htm . April 26, 2007.
- News: McCoy . Terrence . The strange story of how the pot holiday '4/20' got its name . The Washington Post . 2014-04-18 . 2020-04-18.
- Web site: Stoner Chic Traces Origin To San Rafael – Snickering high schoolers brought '420' into lexicon . . April 4, 2012. April 20, 2000 .
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- Web site: 420 Meaning: The True Story Of How April 20 Became 'Weed Day'. The Huffington Post. April 20, 2010. January 23, 2011. Ryan. Grim. Ryan Grim.
- News: Local originators of term 420 solve 45-year-old mystery. April 20, 2016. Alyssa Pereira. San Francisco Chronicle.
- Book: High Times. The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook: More Than 50 Irresistible Recipes That Will Get You High. April 19, 2012. 2012. Chronicle Books. 978-1-4521-0133-0. 97–.
- Web site: High Expectations: Marketers Hope for Buzz on 4/20. April 20, 2012. The Wall Street Journal.
- Web site: What 420 Means: The True Story Behind Stoners' Favorite Number. The Huffington Post. April 20, 2009. January 23, 2011. Ryan. Grim. Ryan Grim. https://web.archive.org/web/20140130014421/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/20/what-420-means-the-true-s_n_188320.html. January 30, 2014.
- What the Guys Who Coined '420' Think About Their Place in Marijuana History. Olivia B. Waxman. Time. April 19, 2017. April 20, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170420013416/http://time.com/4739364/marijuana-420-day-inventors/. April 20, 2017.
- Statue by Beniamino Bufano, Web site: Louis Pasteur – 1940. New Deal Art Registry. November 16, 2018.
- Book: Edison, Mike. Mike Edison . I Have Fun Everywhere I Go: Savage Tales of Pot, Porn, Punk Rock, Pro Wrestling, Talking Apes, Evil Bosses, Dirty Blues, American Heroes, and the Most Notorious Magazines in the World. April 20, 2013. 2009. Faber & Faber. 978-0-86547-903-6. 207–.
- http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/First420story.jpg "Wake 'n' Bake!"
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- News: Thousands of marijuana smokers gather in Vancouver to celebrate "420". Hall. Neal. May 2, 2009. The Vancouver Sun. September 30, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20140910092757/http://wiki4weed.com/archive/thousands-marijuana-smokers-gather-vancouver-celebrate-420/. September 10, 2014.
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- Web site: 420 Day – Cannabis Festival. samesun.com Samesun Nation Travel Blog. April 20, 2011. October 22, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141022101515/http://www.samesun.com/blog/420-day-cannabis-festival/.
- Web site: Canada's marijuana activists unite against American-style drug laws – 420 vote mobs to be held in over 10 cities across Canada on April 20th. newswire.ca CNW Group. https://archive.today/20120907092316/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2011/19/c5308.html. September 7, 2012. April 20, 2011.
- Web site: Denver's new Mile High 420 Festival announces all-star lineup " Denver Post. March 8, 2018. denverpost.com. March 14, 2018. November 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181120221231/https://theknow.denverpost.com/2018/03/08/mile-high-420-festival-lineup-2018/178800/.
- Web site: Pot activists to light up on Hill . Cnews.canoe.ca . April 20, 2011 . dead . https://archive.today/20120712204535/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/04/19/9165666-sun.html . July 12, 2012 .
- Web site: Ottawa's Parliament Hill just one site for planned 4/20 protest . Digitaljournal.com . April 20, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110511102321/http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/290409. May 11, 2011 . live. April 11, 2010 .
- Web site: Hundreds of Tokers Flood Alberta Legislature in Protest to Push for Legalization of Marijuana. April 22, 2013. April 21, 2013.
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080728060041/http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/20/cus-420-pot-smoke-out-draws-10000/ CU's 4/20 pot smoke-out draws crowd of 10,000 : CU News
- Web site: Medical marijuana expected to give momentum to CU-Boulder 4/20 event – Boulder Daily Camera. Dailycamera.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20110430022905/http://www.dailycamera.com/archivesearch/ci_14855977?IADID=Search-www.dailycamera.com-www.dailycamera.com. April 30, 2011. live. April 20, 2011. April 9, 2010.
- Web site: How 4/20 ... grew ... into a 'holiday'. Johnson. Gene. chicagotribune.com. April 20, 2017 . April 22, 2017.
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- Web site: 4/20 celebrations take place at Nathan Phillips Square without permit. April 20, 2020. April 20, 2018.
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- Web site: Photos: 100s turn up, chill out for 420 day on Cal campus. October 22, 2020. April 21, 2016.
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- News: Photos: St. Louis celebrates first '4/20 Day' since recreational marijuana became legal in Missouri . David Carson . Christine Tannous. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 20, 2023.
- Web site: A Giant Cannabis Plant Was Put Up At Martin Place Overnight, Here's Why. 2019-04-19. 10 daily. en-AU. 2019-10-23.
- Web site: Collective . Craze . 2019-04-20 . A Giant Cannabis Plant Was Put Up At Martin Place Overnight, Here's Why . 2022-09-09 . Craze Collective . en-AU.
- Web site: Thousands gather for 'Weed Day' in Melbourne. The Sydney Morning Herald. April 21, 2017 . en. 2019-10-23.
- Web site: Artists hide 'cannabis plants' around Sydney CBD for 420 protest. Dopamine. 2018-04-19. Dopamine. en-AU. 2019-10-23.
- Web site: Marijuana plants hidden in plain sight for 4/20 stunt. Connellan. Shannon. Mashable. April 20, 2018. en. 2019-10-23.
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- Web site: State alters 420 MM sign to thwart thieves . . April 18, 2018.
- Web site: Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 to thwart stoners. KTVB. August 18, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150820184544/http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/idaho/2015/08/18/idaho-replaces-mile-marker-420-with-4199-to-thwart-stoners/31928433/. August 20, 2015.
- News: Washington State Wants to Stop Theft of Mile 420 Signs. Its Solution? Mile 419.9.. Jacobs. Julia. January 12, 2019. The New York Times. January 13, 2019. en-US. 0362-4331.
- Web site: Stoners Keep Stealing 420 Mile Markers, So Some States Have Replaced Them With 419.9. Keyser, Hannah. Mental Floss. August 20, 2015. April 20, 2019.
- News: A map of the remaining 420-mile markers in the U.S.. Ingraham, Christopher. Washington Post. August 20, 2015. April 20, 2019.
- Web site: County finds fix for missing 420 signs. Post-Bulletin. July 20, 2015 . July 20, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170430012124/http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/after-deadline-county-finds-fix-for-missing-signs/article_b88939fb-3c91-5523-b41e-a3b6c2dff8e4.html. April 30, 2017.
- News: Officials say theft of '420' road signs no laughing matter. August 26, 2015. Kelly Keiter. KSTU. Salt Lake City.
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