The History of 4/20

4/20 is widely regarded as a sacred number in the world of cannabis. For quite some time, 4/20 has been considered a holiday in the world of weed, but where did it get its origins?

Around the world, April 20th is considered to be a holiday for weed with celebrations happening all over the place. The holiday ends usually at 4:20 pm, when everyone smokes together at once. Many people are unsure of the origins of this holiday, and they are still a little hazy.

Back in the early 60s in Northern California, legends say that kids ended school at 4:20 in the afternoon. After they got out of school, they would go and toke up rightfully so. They are said to be the unofficial masters of the holiday of smoke. One of the pioneers of the time, David Reddix, a filmmaker and CNN cameraman stated that “we thought it was a joke then, we still do.”

Reddix along with several other buddies formed a click back during the 60s that would become the breeding ground for smoking on the northern coast. This origin though has been quite obscured throughout time with no one really knowing whether or not this is the true nature of the term 4/20.

Other stories state that the origins started with the Grateful Dead back in Oakland in the 90s. The hippies going to the concert would always meet before at the sacred time, right at the Marin County Bolinas Ridge sunset spot. Flyers used to be passed around with this time and meeting spot on it, helping to show a possible origin for the time and date. The flyer stated “420 started somewhere in San Rafael, California in the late ‘70s. It started as the police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After local heads heard of the police call, they started using the expression 420 when referring to herb – Let’s Go 420, dude!”

Many other people believe that 4/20 is the police code used to describe weed, but this remains slightly untrue. Those who founded this movement never thought that the number would become anything more than a date and time for them to meet up before a concert. Two of the largest places in the country to meet on this date have reportedly been the University of California Santa Cruz, as well as the University of Colorado Boulder. These schools have been the home for smoking up on 4/20, treating it as though it is a national holiday. The chancellor of Boulder recently sent out an announcement to the students stating that “As another April 20 approaches, we are faced with concerns from students, parents, alumni, Regents, and community members about a repeat of last year’s 4/20 ‘event. We hope that you will choose not to participate in unlawful activity that debases the reputation of your University and degree, and will encourage your fellow Buffs to act with pride and remember who they really are.”

Although these schools seem to be in direct opposition of the holiday, these notes are little more than official statements as it would be unlikely for them to condone this sort of action. At these two schools, security guards are usually placed in the popular smoking areas to ensure that everything goes safely as opposed to cracking down on weed smoking. Although it may still be illegal in some places, most have realized by this point that theres nothing they can do to stop its use. Happy 4/20, and hopefully this holiday will help to continue the fight for the fair legislation of cannabis.

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