It's become an important part of cannabis culture over the decades, but just where did it come from? 420, or four-twenty, is now known by most stoners and a way to communicate about marijuana in the presence of authority. Due to its growing popularity, police have caught on to the code but many parents, teachers, and other figures of authority have no idea of its meaning.
April 20th(4/20) has become a key date for potheads. On this date many of them gather and take part in their beloved ritual of consuming their favorite plant. Celebrations range from chilling at home smoking a doob to large scale festivals and concerts held at parks and commercial venues. Protests to reform marijuana laws have also beome a tradition for many on this day. Marches in Washington DC and other capitol cities have taken place on April 20th urging the US government to legalize or decriminalize cannabis.
Despite how many people celebrate on this occasion, very few people know exactly where it originated. There are several stories of how it came about but most can be easily disproved. Many say it's a police code for "marijuana smoking in progress". However there is no record of a 420 penal code in the US. Some say it is because Hitler was born on April 20th, or because that was the date of the Columbine shootings. While both of these events did occur on April 20th, neither of them are responsible for its use in cannabis culture. They have nothing to do with marijuana culture, and the shootings took place after the term had become popular.
One claim, which was even printed in High Times magazine and the LA Times, involves a group of California high school students in 1971. This group was known as the "Waldos" and they invented several terms and phrases that were known only to them. There was one term that seemed to catch on, and that was...you guessed it. 420! Every day after school, they would meet up at 4:20 pm by the school statue. From there they would go get high and cruise around. This story has come into acceptance with most credible sources but is still arguable.
Wherever it came, from its use today is more frequent than ever. Although its popularity may damage the discreetness of the term, millions now enjoy having a universal symbol for marijuana and its uses.
Here are some links on the Waldos theory:
