Jump to content

420 (cannabis culture)

Checked
Page protected with pending changes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from 4:20)

420
originally "4:20 Louis"
Statue of Louis Pasteur at San Rafael High School, by Benny Bufano (1940),[1][2] site of the earliest 4:20 gatherings in 1971
Observed byCannabis counterculture, legal reformers, entheogenic spiritualists, and general users of cannabis
TypeSecular
SignificanceTime/date to celebrate cannabis
ObservancesCannabis consumption, traditionally cannabis smoking, dispensary discounts
Date4:20 p.m./April 20
FrequencyDaily, annually

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).[3][4]

Origins

[edit]

In 1971, five high school students in San Rafael, California,[5][6] 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.[7][8] Calling themselves the Waldos,[9][10] because their typical hang-out spot "was a wall outside the school",[11] the five students—Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich[12]—designated the Louis Pasteur statue[13] on the grounds of San Rafael High School as their meeting place, and 4:20 p.m. as their meeting time.[11] 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.[7]

Steven Hager of High Times popularized the story of the Waldos.[14] The first High Times mention of 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 holiday appeared in May 1991[15] and erroneously attributed the origin of the term to a police code; this and other spurious incorrect origin stories became common.[16] The connection to the Waldos appeared in December 1998. Hager attributed the early spread of the phrase to Grateful Dead followers[17]—after "Waldo" Reddix became a roadie for the Grateful Dead's bassist, Phil Lesh[12]—and called for 4:20 p.m. to be the socially accepted time of the day to consume cannabis.[17]

Another San Rafael group claims to have originated the term before the Waldos.[18]

International observance of April 20

[edit]
Vancouver, April 20, 2012

April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday based on the celebration and consumption of cannabis.[3][19][20] 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".[21] Paul Birch calls it a global movement and suggests that one cannot stop events like these.[22]

Many marijuana users protest in civil disobedience by gathering in public to smoke at 4:20 p.m.[23]

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".[24][25]

In North America

[edit]

North American observances have been held at many locations, including:

In Australia

[edit]

Australian observances have been held at many locations, over many years, including:

Elsewhere

[edit]

Events have also been held in Hyde Park in London[63] and Dunedin, New Zealand, at the University of Otago.[64][65][66][67][68][69]

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.[70][71]

In Northern Cyprus, known for strict drug laws and intolerance to cannabis consumption,[72] 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.[73]

Other effects

[edit]
Part of a series on
Cannabis
Cannabis
Chemistry
  • Semi-synthetic cannabinoids
Pharmacology
Consumption
Economics
Effects
Forms
Law
Variants
  • Genus
  • Species
Related

Traffic safety

[edit]

Despite two studies reporting a supposed increase in the risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes on April 20,[74][75] further investigation and analysis found the evidence did not support such claims.[76][77][78][79]

Stolen signs

[edit]
Further information: Street sign theft

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.[80] 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.[81] 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.[82] The Washington State Department of Transportation implemented similar measures,[83] but only replaced one of the two 420 signs in the state, with the remaining one being subsequently stolen.[81] According to The Washington Post, there are eleven 420 mile markers in the US, after three replacements and one stolen and not replaced.[84] In Goodhue County, Minnesota, officials have changed "420 St" street signs to "42x St".[85] The mile marker 420 sign on U.S. Route 89, the only 420 marker in the state of Utah, is frequently stolen.[86]

Legislation and other government recognition

[edit]

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.[87] A North Dakota bill to legalize cannabis was HB 1420, introduced in January 2021.[88]

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.[89][90] 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.[91]

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".[92]

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.[93]

Literature

[edit]

Several books about cannabis have "420" in the title, including the cannabis cookbooks The 420 Cannabis Cookbook, published by Simon & Schuster,[94] and The 420 Gourmet published in 2016 by HarperCollins.[95][96]

Commerce

[edit]

Some American restaurants offer "420" themed promotions to coincide with April 20.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted in 2018 about taking his company private at $420 a share. Musk testified during the trial that any associations with cannabis were coincidental.[97][98] Musk purchased Twitter in 2022 at $54.20 per share, acknowledging the reference to marijuana culture and because his girlfriend thought it was funny.[99]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Daily Independent Journal from San Rafael, California". November 20, 1954. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  2. ^ Chronicle, San Francisco (1962). The San Francisco Chronicle Reader. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  3. ^ a b King, Matt (April 24, 2007). "Thousands at UCSC burn one to mark cannabis holiday". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 26, 2007.
  4. ^ McCoy, Terrence (April 18, 2014). "The strange story of how the pot holiday '4/20' got its name". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Stoner Chic Traces Origin To San Rafael – Snickering high schoolers brought '420' into lexicon". San Francisco Chronicle. April 20, 2000. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  6. ^ a b McKinley, Jesse (April 19, 2009). "Marijuana Advocates Point to Signs of Change". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  7. ^ a b Grim, Ryan (April 20, 2010). "420 Meaning: The True Story Of How April 20 Became 'Weed Day'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  8. ^ Alyssa Pereira (April 20, 2016). "Local originators of term 420 solve 45-year-old mystery". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ^ High Times (2012). The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook: More Than 50 Irresistible Recipes That Will Get You High. Chronicle Books. pp. 97–. ISBN 978-1-4521-0133-0. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  10. ^ Silverman, Rachel Emma; Dodes, Rachel (April 20, 2012). "High Expectations: Marketers Hope for Buzz on 4/20". The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ^ a b Grim, Ryan (April 20, 2009). "What 420 Means: The True Story Behind Stoners' Favorite Number". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 30, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Olivia B. Waxman (April 19, 2017). "What the Guys Who Coined '420' Think About Their Place in Marijuana History". Time. Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  13. ^ Statue by Beniamino Bufano, "Louis Pasteur – 1940". New Deal Art Registry. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  14. ^ Edison, Mike (2009). 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. Faber & Faber. pp. 207–. ISBN 978-0-86547-903-6. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  15. ^ "Wake 'n' Bake!"
  16. ^ "The Origins of 420". September 14, 2002.
  17. ^ a b "Stoner Smart, or Stoner Stupid?". High Times. August 2002. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  18. ^ Lester Black (April 17, 2023). "The Bay Area origins of '420' are full of controversy". SFGATE. Hearst Communications.
  19. ^ Halnon, Karen Bettez (April 11, 2005). "The power of 420". Archived from the original on May 13, 2013.
  20. ^ "420 event lists".
  21. ^ "How marijuana's high holiday came to be". New York Post. April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  22. ^ Gayle, Damien (April 19, 2015). "Thousands of cannabis users roll up in Hyde Park for annual 4/20 event". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  23. ^ "Marijuana's big day is here: '420' celebrations ready to roll". USA Today. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  24. ^ "Does 4/20 Still Matter?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  25. ^ "Annual 420 pot rally will be more celebration than protest: Organizers". Toronto Sun. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  26. ^ Davies, Pete (April 21, 2010). "Washington Square Gets Its Grit Back on 420 Day". Curbed NY. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  27. ^ Reed, Matt (April 20, 2018), Boston celebrates 4/20, retrieved April 20, 2021
  28. ^ "A Huge Turn Out for 420 Day on Hippie Hill in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park " San Francisco Citizen". Sfcitizen.com. April 20, 2010. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  29. ^ "Students mark 420 at UC Santa Cruz". Santa Cruz Sentinel. April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  30. ^ Amanda del Castillo (April 20, 2019). "Pot enthusiasts in Santa Cruz prepare for 4/20 toker tradition". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  31. ^ Stein, Perry (April 20, 2015). "D.C. residents and activists light up on the National Mall for 4/20". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  32. ^ Estepa, Jessica (April 19, 2017). "D.C. activists to hand out joints near U.S. Capitol on 4/20". USA Today. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  33. ^ "Marijuana protest planned for the Vancouver Art Gallery despite 4/20 moving to Sunset Beach". April 19, 2016.
  34. ^ Hall, Neal (May 2, 2009). "Thousands of marijuana smokers gather in Vancouver to celebrate "420"". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
  35. ^ Johnson, Lisa (April 20, 2016). "4/20 pot rally draws tens of thousands in Vancouver". CBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  36. ^ "420 Day – Cannabis Festival". samesun.com Samesun Nation Travel Blog. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  37. ^ "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. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  38. ^ "Denver's new Mile High 420 Festival announces all-star lineup " Denver Post". denverpost.com. March 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  39. ^ "Pot activists to light up on Hill". Cnews.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  40. ^ "Ottawa's Parliament Hill just one site for planned 4/20 protest". Digitaljournal.com. April 11, 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  41. ^ "Hundreds of Tokers Flood Alberta Legislature in Protest to Push for Legalization of Marijuana". April 21, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  42. ^ CU's 4/20 pot smoke-out draws crowd of 10,000 : CU News.
  43. ^ "Medical marijuana expected to give momentum to CU-Boulder 4/20 event – Boulder Daily Camera". Dailycamera.com. April 9, 2010. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  44. ^ Johnson, Gene (April 20, 2017). "How 4/20 ... grew ... into a 'holiday'". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  45. ^ "Denver 420 event will be a mix of marijuana politics and celebration". April 19, 2017. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  46. ^ "4/20 celebrations take place at Nathan Phillips Square without permit". April 20, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  47. ^ "Thousands expected to attend Toronto 4/20 marijuana rally at Yonge-Dundas Square". April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  48. ^ "Photos: 100s turn up, chill out for 420 day on Cal campus". April 21, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  49. ^ "#Plantón420 Has Been Camping Outside the Mexican Senate For a Month". March 6, 2020.
  50. ^ David Carson; Christine Tannous (April 20, 2023). "Photos: St. Louis celebrates first '4/20 Day' since recreational marijuana became legal in Missouri". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  51. ^ "A Giant Cannabis Plant Was Put Up At Martin Place Overnight, Here's Why". 10 daily. April 19, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  52. ^ Collective, Craze (April 20, 2019). "A Giant Cannabis Plant Was Put Up At Martin Place Overnight, Here's Why". Craze Collective. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  53. ^ "Thousands gather for 'Weed Day' in Melbourne". The Sydney Morning Herald. April 21, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  54. ^ Dopamine (April 19, 2018). "Artists hide 'cannabis plants' around Sydney CBD for 420 protest". Dopamine. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  55. ^ Connellan, Shannon (April 20, 2018). "Marijuana plants hidden in plain sight for 4/20 stunt". Mashable. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  56. ^ "Happy 4/20: Activists Have Hidden Weed Plants All Around Sydney". Junkee. April 20, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  57. ^ "These two weapons covered Sydney in 'cannabis plants' to celebrate 4/20". Beat Magazine. April 20, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  58. ^ "Some Blaze Lord Put A Hydroponic Weed Pop-Up In Sydney's Kings X For 4/20". Pedestrian TV. April 20, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  59. ^ "A Public Cannabis Nursery Appears in Kings Cross". Broadsheet. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  60. ^ Hyjak – Mother Natures Gift MUSIC VIDEO – #Superbong does 420 #Whoarewehurting?, April 21, 2016, retrieved September 9, 2022
  61. ^ 420 Protest At Sydney Town Hall. PEDESTRIAN.TV. Retrieved September 9, 2022 – via YouTube.
  62. ^ Briana Domjen; Annette Sharp (April 22, 2014). "Jesse Willesee joins the 420 pro-marijuana movement with a smoking session outside Parliament House". Daily Telegraph.
  63. ^ Gayle, Damien (April 21, 2016). "Police make 20 arrests at cannabis picnic in London's Hyde Park". the Guardian. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  64. ^ Porteous, Debbie (June 12, 2008). "Police swoop on cannabis protest". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  65. ^ "420 Protest". Channel 9 News Dunedin. February 22, 2008. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  66. ^ Porteous, Debbie (July 11, 2008). "Campus arrests follow marijuana complaints (+ video)". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  67. ^ Rudd, Allison (September 26, 2008). "Moore's appeal rejected". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  68. ^ Rudd, Allison (July 22, 2008). "Lack of quorum foils cannabis vote". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  69. ^ Rudd, Allison (September 20, 2008). "OUSA general meeting promises controversy". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  70. ^ "Politični Semafor". marihuanamars. March 20, 2018. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  71. ^ Ma, Al (February 2, 2018). "Bo konoplja kmalu legalizirana?". RTVSLO. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  72. ^ "İşte KKTC'nin uyuşturucu raporu". detaykibris. June 29, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  73. ^ "Meclis önünde 'Elini Otumdan Çek' eylemi". yeniduzen. April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  74. ^ Staples, John A.; Redelmeier, Donald A. (2018). "The April 20 Cannabis Celebration and Fatal Traffic Crashes in the United States". JAMA Internal Medicine. 178 (4): 569–572. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.8298. ISSN 2168-6106. PMC 5876802. PMID 29435568.
  75. ^ Vandoros, Sotiris; Kawachi, Ichiro (July 2019). "The relative risk of motor vehicle collision on cannabis celebration day in Great Britain" (PDF). Accident Analysis & Prevention. 128: 248–252. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2019.02.013. PMID 30902341. S2CID 85457198.
  76. ^ Harper, Sam; Palayew, Adam (January 29, 2019). "The annual cannabis holiday and fatal traffic crashes". Injury Prevention. 25 (5): 433–437. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2018-043068. ISSN 1353-8047. PMID 30696698. S2CID 59413349.
  77. ^ Aydelotte, Jayson D.; Mardock, Alexandra L.; Teixeira, Pedro G.; Brown, Lawrence H. (November 1, 2018). "Re-examining the Association Between '4/20' and Fatal Crashes—Doobie-ous Data?". JAMA Internal Medicine. 178 (11): 1565. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.5856. PMID 30398555. S2CID 53223889.
  78. ^ Staples, John A.; Redelmeier, Donald A. (March 1, 2019). "Association Between April 20 Cannabis Celebration and Fatal Crashes". JAMA Internal Medicine. 179 (3): 456. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.8094. PMID 30715145. S2CID 73432259.
  79. ^ Staples, John A; Redelmeier, Donald A (October 2019). "Crashes on cannabis celebration day". Injury Prevention. 25 (5): 476–477. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043262. PMID 31302609. S2CID 196618121.
  80. ^ "State alters 420 MM sign to thwart thieves". USA Today. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  81. ^ a b Keyser, Hannah (August 20, 2015). "Stoners Keep Stealing 420 Mile Markers, So Some States Have Replaced Them With 419.9". Mental Floss. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  82. ^ "Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 to thwart stoners". KTVB. Archived from the original on August 20, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  83. ^ Jacobs, Julia (January 12, 2019). "Washington State Wants to Stop Theft of Mile 420 Signs. Its Solution? Mile 419.9". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  84. ^ Ingraham, Christopher (August 20, 2015). "A map of the remaining 420-mile markers in the U.S." Washington Post. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  85. ^ "County finds fix for missing 420 signs". Post-Bulletin. July 20, 2015. Archived from the original on April 30, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  86. ^ Kelly Keiter (August 26, 2015). "Officials say theft of '420' road signs no laughing matter". Salt Lake City: KSTU.
  87. ^ Only one shows up for pot bill (July 15, 2010). "Only one shows up for pot bill". Mvguam.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  88. ^ "Bill Actions for HB 1420". nd.gov official portal for North Dakota government. North Dakota legislative branch. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  89. ^ Guild, Blair (April 20, 2018). "On 4/20, Sen. Schumer introduces bill to decriminalize marijuana". CBS News. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  90. ^ Gstalter, Morgan (June 28, 2018). "Schumer unveils bill to decriminalize marijuana". The Hill. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  91. ^ Tom Angell (January 9, 2019). "New Congressional Marijuana Bill Is Actually Numbered H.R. 420". Marijuana Moment – via Forbes.
  92. ^ Colorado to auction off cannabis-themed license plates, Associated Press, April 13, 2021
  93. ^ "D.C. mayor offers pot activist Tag 420 for his efforts". Washington Post.
  94. ^ Maggie GRISWOLD (April 14, 2020). "The Best 4/20 Cookbooks for When You Have a Case of the Munchies". Stylecaster. SHE Media.
  95. ^ Naima Karp; Destynee Powell (November 8, 2018), "Celebrate the High Holy Day With These Celebrated Marijuana Cookbooks", spy.com, Penske Media
  96. ^ Jonathan Segura (May 17, 2016), Cookbooks Previews: June 2016, Publishers Weekly
  97. ^ Paul, Kari; McCormick, Erin (February 3, 2023). "Jury sides with Elon Musk over 2018 tweets claiming he would take Tesla private". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  98. ^ Anon (January 28, 2023). "The world this week". The Economist. p. 10.
  99. ^ Hu, Krystal; Sen, Anirban (April 26, 2022). "From weed joke to agreed deal: Inside Musk's $44 bln Twitter buyout". Reuters. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
[edit]
Look up 420 in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=420_(cannabis_culture)&oldid=1253066151"