There are all sorts of rumors about how the term 420 came to be associated with lighting up a joint, but according to the myth-busting website Snopes.com, it was born in the 1970s at San Rafael High School in California, where about a dozen students gathered each day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke pot.
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. Steven Hager of High Times popularized the story of the Waldos.
4 20 is a slang term with a range of meanings, all related to cannabis. It refers broadly to the consumption of cannabis, specifically to a quantity of the drug, and also to a time of day at which many people might choose to smoke cannabis, or a date on which its use is celebrated (the 20th of April).
"420' is slang for pot smoking, particularly at 4:20 p.m. or on April 20. Its origins are debated. No colon or slash is necessary unless referring specifically to the time or date.
But a consensus has emerged that it started with a group of bell-bottomed buddies from San Rafael High School in California, who called themselves "the Waldos." A friend's brother was afraid of getting busted for a patch of cannabis he was growing in the woods at Point Reyes, so he drew a map and gave the teens ...
Myth: The '420' Police Codes
Many people believe that the number '420' is coined from the California Criminal Codes used to punish the use or distribution of marijuana. But if you actually take a closer look at the state's 420 code, it applies to obstructing entry on public land.
420 is a slang term (or a kind of code word) referring to marijuana or marijuana use. Due to this association, 420 is also used as the name of an unofficial holiday that marijuana enthusiasts celebrate by using marijuana. It is sometimes called Weed Day (weed is a slang term for marijuana).
Results: Mean marijuana use per use day among purchasers was 1.35 grams and non-purchasers estimated mean use amount per day was 0.71 grams. Lower mean use per day was a found for women and the most frequent users.
420 has two commonly accepted meanings in Hebrew Gematria. First, 420 means smoke or vapor in Gematria and is represented by the Hebrew word “עשן” (Ashan). Second, 420 represents the words “חיים טובים” or “chayim tovim” which means “good life” in Hebrew Gematria.
On April 20, 1971 five friends at San Rafael High School in California coined the term "4:20" as a euphuism for smoking Marijuana. 4/20 became a popular day to spark one up, as did 4:20 pm became a popular time of day.
The most widely accepted theory as to the origins of 420 is that it was first used by a group of high school students in San Rafael, California in the early 1970s. The students, who called themselves "The Waldos", would meet at 4:20pm to smoke cannabis after school.
Bob Marley Connection: While Bob Marley is an icon in cannabis culture, his death date (May 11) and birth date (February 6) have no connection to 4/20. Chemical Compounds Theory: Some claim there are exactly 420 chemical compounds in cannabis.
As Hager explained, a group of Californian teenagers ritualistically smoked marijuana every day at 4:20 pm. The ritual spread, and soon 420 became code for smoking marijuana. Eventually 420 was converted into 4/20 for calendar purposes, and the day of celebration was born.
If you're in the dating scene, you might come across the term "420-friendly" on someone's profile, among other interests or personality traits they list. This usually means that the person either consumes cannabis or is okay with being around it.
San Francisco has a 420 code, but it involves a juvenile disturbance, not drug possession. Section 420 of the California penal code references obstructing entry on public land, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, 420 refers to homicide.
The term “420” originated in the 1970s with a group of California high schoolers who would regularly meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke weed. Since then, the amount of THC in marijuana has increased significantly.
Now, you might have heard of “420 friendly,” a little code to let people know that you are cannabis-friendly, but “710 friendly” has also entered the zeitgeist, letting people know that you like to live more potent than those around you. Using concentrates is a way of consumption that is still new to a lot of people.
The intrigue: The most well-known version of the story traces its roots back to a group named the Waldos who came up with the slang term in 1971 while they were students at San Rafael High School in Marin County.