Skip to main content

What is 4/20? How 4/20 became 'Weed Day'

How 4/20 became 'Weed Day'

(CNN)There is something in the air today. Maybe you've noticed.

April 20, or 4/20, is known as "Weed Day" in some circles because the date corresponds with a numerical code for marijuana.

Yes, it seems arbitrary. So how did the number 420 come to represent smoking pot?


First, let's get the myths and rumors out of the way:


The legend of the California penal code

Some claim the number is drawn from the California criminal codes used to punish the use or distribution of marijuana. But the state's 420 code actually applies to obstructing entry on public land. So, not quite.

But the rumor sounds a lot like ...

The legend of the police radio code

Neither LAPD nor NYPD even have a code 420. San Francisco Police have one, but it's for a "juvenile disturbance."

So never mind that theory.

Then there's ...

The legend of the Dylan song

This one is a nod to Bob Dylan's song, "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" and its lyric, "Everybody must get stoned."

Multiply 12 by 35 and you get 420.

Seems a bit of a stretch. And Dylan himself has never confirmed any link.


The story that appears to hold the most water is ...

12x35 #420

The legend of the Waldos

According to Chris Conrad, curator of the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum in Oakland, California, 420 started as a secret code among high schoolers in the early 1970s.

A group of friends at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California, who called themselves "the Waldos," would often meet at 4:20 p.m. to get high.

For them, it was an ideal time: They were out of school but their parents still weren't home, giving them a window of unsupervised freedom. They met at that time every day near a statue of Louis Pasteur, the scientist who pioneered pasteurization.

CNN Money: 10 things to know about legal pot

The 4:20 time became a code for them to use in front of their unsuspecting parents, and 420 gradually spread from there -- possibly via Grateful Dead followers -- across California and beyond. It's even the number of a California Senate bill that established the state's medial marijuana program.

What was shorthand for a group of friends can now be seen on T-shirts and throughout pop culture.

And of course, on the calendar every April.


By skunty empire

Comments

TRENDING

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

Soy Sauce Noodles With Cabbage and Fried Eggs Recipe

How to prepare Seared Steak

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

Smash Burgers secret Recipes

How to prepare Chicken Shawarma Deluxe

How Generative AI is Transforming Healthcare

Empire Market Vendor from Texas Charged in a Multi-million Dollar Darknet Drug Distribution Conspiracy

Popular posts from this blog

Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims

New post Stormy Daniels seeks Trump testimony on her sex claims 25 minutes ago Share this with Facebook   Share this with Twitter   Share Media caption Stormy Daniels: 'I was threatened' Adult-film star Stormy Daniels has filed a court motion for US President Donald Trump to testify about her claim that they had a relationship. Her lawyer wants sworn testimony from Mr Trump about a "hush" agreement the actress says she signed. The attorney, Michael Avenatti, is also seeking a legal interview with the president's lawyer. Ms Daniels alleges she had unprotected sex with Mr Trump in 2006 a year after he married Melania Trump. He denies it. Mr Avenatti's motion, filed in a court in the Central District of California early on Wednesday, ramps up the legal duel between the porn star and the president. Should Trump be worried about Stormy Daniels? The president and the porn star: Why this matters Ex-model ...

Soy Sauce Noodles With Cabbage and Fried Eggs Recipe

  Soy Sauce Noodles With Cabbage and Fried Eggs Time: 30 minutes  Soy sauce noodles, a traditional Cantonese dish frequently eaten for breakfast or lunch at dim sum, are hearty enough to be served for dinner as well. Contrary to the traditional dish, which includes bean sprouts and frequently garlic chives, this recipe calls for cabbage because it has a nice textural crunch and plenty of scallions since they pack a strong flavor. Regular and dark soy sauce, or lăochu in Cantonese, are simply mixed together to make the soy sauce seasoning. It imparts the noodles' very rich color. Tamari also works nicely if black soy sauce is not an option. Although thin egg noodles are typically used in this recipe, any dry wheat noodles would work in a pinch. INGREDIENTS Yield: 4 servings FOR THE NOODLES Kosher salt 7 ounces dried (or 16 ounces fresh) thin egg noodles Neutral oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed 4 large eggs ½ small green cabbage (1½ pounds), core removed then thinly sliced 1 ...

How to prepare Seared Steak

  Reverse-Seared Steak Time 45 to 55 minutes, plus lighting the grill Reverse-searing is a grilling technique for steak that ensures a dark, sizzling crust and a rosy center that is perfectly cooked to your desired degree of doneness. This brilliant grilling method combines the low and slow cooking of traditional barbecue with the high heat charring practiced at steakhouses. Though it works well with any thick steak, from picanha to porterhouse, this recipe calls for a cut of steak popularized in Santa Maria, Calif., and is today known and loved across the U.S. as tri-tip. As the name suggests, it’s a triangular or boomerang-shaped steak cut from the tip of the sirloin, blessed with a robust beefy flavor. INGREDIENTS Yield : 4 servings * 1large or 2 small wood chunks (such as oak, hickory or mesquite) or 1½ cups wood chips * Canola oil, for greasing the grill grate * 1tri-tip steak (about 2 to 2¼ pounds; see Tip) * Coarse kosher or sea salt * Freshly ground black pep...

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity

Bannon to address Front National as French far-right leaders seek unity Beset by political and personal rifts, and with her popularity in the post-election doldrums, Le Pen is facing opposition to her plan to rename the party in an attempt to improve its electoral chances. presidential election. Hours before the conference opened it was revealed Donald Trump’s former adviser  Steve Bannon  would be speaking on the first day of the event. The move is seen by the traditional wing of the FN, founded by Le Pen’s father in the 1970s, as a betrayal of the party’s heritage. The new name will be voted on after it is unveiled on Sunday. The surprise guest speaker Bannon was announced on Twitter by the FN deputy president Louis Aliot. He wrote: “Welcome to Steve Bannon who will address the FN tomorrow at our congress and will meet ML [Le Pen]. The people are waking up and taking their destiny in hand.” Shortly afterwards Aliot tweeted a photograph of him sha...