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What Is The Origin Of 420 In Cannabis Culture?
Pronounced as “four-twenty,” what is the Origin Of 420 In Cannabis Culture? A common myth is that 420 is the police code for cannabis consumption.
There is a special meaning behind the number 420. Pronounced as “four-twenty,” the Origin Of 420 In Cannabis Culture is unknown to most people. Regardless, common myths are that 420 is the old police code for cannabis consumption.
Myths About The Origin of 420
Another myth about the origin of 420 is that 4:20 is the prime time to tend to cannabis plants, or even that the number is the teatime of Amsterdam. Another myth is that 420 refers to marijuana’s number of compounds. To our knowledge, no scientist has explicitly stated 420 compounds in a cannabis plant.
A Story about The Origin Of 420, The Waldos, and The Grateful Dead
There’s a story that goes a bit like this. The phrase “four-twenty” was used by a popular jam band called “The Grateful Dead.” Deadheads, big-time fans of the band, used this phrase as a code word to refer to smoking cannabis. The term 420 gave a famous rock group a new way of communicating its cannabis-friendly attitudes with like-minded fans. As a result, the term 420 spread across the cannabis community. It gave them a way to discuss cannabis in public.
The Waldos Started Smoking Cannabis with The Grateful Dead
The group called The Waldos started getting high and playing at Grateful Dead’s practice facility in San Rafael. Also, The Waldos were known to meet at 4:20 pm at least once a week at the Louis Pasteur statue outside San Rafael High. After smoking a little, the Waldos drove to nearby Point Reyes Forest to look for wild cannabis plants.
420 Became the Term Used to Tell Others It Was Time to Smoke Cannabis
Eventually, 420 became The Waldo’s secret code whenever they wanted a smoke. After saying 420 to one another during passing times in the halls of their school, they knew to meet at 4:20 pm to smoke cannabis. As a result, the most commonly accepted origin story of 420 is a group of California high school students in the 1970s who began meeting at 4:20 pm at a specific location to smoke cannabis together.
Steve Bloom and a Flyer About 420 at a Grateful Dead Gig
Around 1990, High Times Magazine Senior Editor Steve Bloom saw a flier at a Dead gig telling a story about 420. Afterward, High Times’ initial article was published in 1998, their story was picked up in other publications. Finally, High Times Magazine acknowledged that the Waldos were the inventors of 420.
The Waldo’s Original 420 Memorabilia in San Francisco
There is a rumor that somewhere in San Francisco is The Waldo’s original tie-dyed 420 flag. However, they also kept a newspaper clipping where one of the members discussed wanting to simply say 420 for his senior prom speech and letters postmarked with references to 420.
April 20th Has Become an International Cultural Holiday
For cannabis enthusiasts, April 20th has become an international marijuana appreciation day. Also, a chance to celebrate a plant that continues to transform the world. To cannabis culture, 420 represents the hour, the day, a moment for smoking cannabis, a celebration, and an opportunity to advocate for the marijuana cause. However, no longer a secret, 420 has come to stand as an icon within the cannabis culture and as the day and hour observed by marijuana enthusiasts worldwide.
Cited Sources
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