Why Is 420 Associated With Weed, Anyway?
April 20th – or 4/20 – is celebrated by cannabis enthusiasts as a national holiday for weed culture. And the number 420 has become linked in popular culture with marijuana. But why is 420 associated with weed? There are a number of myths and false origin stories, but the true beginnings of 420’s place in cannabis culture go back to the 1970s in California. In this Doobie blog, we explore the full lore of 420.
A Few Myths Surrounding 420
Some claim that 420 is the police code for a marijuana-related offense, but there’s no foundation for this being the case. Others cite a Bob Dylan song “Rainy Day Woman #12 & 35,” which features the lyric “everybody must get stoned”, noting that 12 times 35 equals 420. But this isn’t the origin of the association.
Why is 420 the Weed Number?
In the early 1970s, a group of Marin County, California high school students used to meet after school to smoke marijuana. School and extracurricular activities were ending at around 4:20 PM, so that’s when they chose to meet. Within this group of kids, “420” became slang for marijuana in general.
The association between 420 and cannabis might have passed into obscurity as an inside joke were it not for an intersection with rock and roll mega-band The Grateful Dead. One of the students’ brothers knew Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, and 420 entered into the slang of the roadies and others associated with the Grateful Dead.
The Grateful Dead were major cannabis enthusiasts and advocates, and the band’s rabid fanbase tended to be the same way. As 420 spread through the Grateful Dead culture, it began to take on a wider prominence.
The seminal moment for 420’s association with marijuana was in 1990, when a group of Deadheads in California printed out flyers inviting any interested people to smoke weed at 4:20 PM on April 20th. One of these flyers caught the attention of former High Times reporter Steve Bloom, who had the flyer printed in the magazine. At this point, 420 was cemented as a number linked with cannabis throughout the marijuana-smoking culture, and eventually, this trickled out into mainstream recognition too.
Why is 420 Weed Day?
Cannabis culture has long embraced a sort of outsider ethos, especially because of marijuana’s variable legality. But the idea of a stoner holiday created a powerful bond of unity and togetherness, and a large part of the weed-smoking population has adopted April 20th as an informal holiday.
Some celebrations draw thousands of people, like an annual gathering in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and music festivals are held over that weekend. College campuses often hold sizeable April 20th gatherings.
Some movie theaters have screenings of marijuana-related movies, with Cheech and Chong movies being popular choices. Pot shops often get in on the act by offering discounts. Several breweries make 420 themed beers.
What Does 420 Mean?
Beyond its meaning as either a time of day or a day of the year, 420 has become a general symbol of a lifestyle that embraces the benefits of cannabis. People display 420 as a way of showing their support for marijuana, and this is especially relevant in the battle to legalize it.
While many states allow some form of legal marijuana, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, it remains illegal at the federal level and in other states. And among the cannabis community, many advocates are leading efforts toward wider acceptance and legality. The number 420 is a way for them to signal their beliefs and make a connection with like-minded people.
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Photo by Kym MacKinnon on Unsplash
