4/20: The History of the Cannabis Celebration

The 20th of April is a day heavily recognized as a holiday for marijuana distributors, consumers, and supporters. Washington D.C. and 21 U.S. states have currently legalized the recreational use of the substance for those who are 21 and older, with more predicted to follow. 38 U.S. states have legalized all medical marijuana use, while 7 more have legalized the use of CBD oils. As it stands in South Carolina, both medical and recreational use are considered illegal, though Senate Bill 211 is currently in committee by the SC Senate, working to no longer consider marijuana a Schedule 1 drug so to legalize its use, labeling, and sale in the state, though the details can be found in the bill itself.

When it comes to the day of 4/20, there are a few rumors for how it began. Some people believe that it has something to do with a policing code, but there are no current weed-related codes with the number 420, but more on that later. A popular opinion is that folk musician Bob Dylan helped popularize it, as he is a prominent user of the herb. The main focus is on his song, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.” It’s a bit of a stretch, but many claim that he was the origin of the holiday because when you multiply 12 and 35, you get 420. However, the true origin point of 4/20 can be found in 1971’s Marin County, California.

San Rafael High School was home to five specific students — Steve Capper, Mark Gravich, Jeffrey Noel, Dave Reddix, and Larry Schwartz — who all enjoyed smoking weed in their free time. They had decided on a specific time to meet up at a wall near their school’s statue of chemist Louis Pasteur. What was that time exactly? You guessed it! At 4:20 PM, they would get high together and take advantage of a window between getting out of school and their parents getting home from work. Similarly, they used the number as a code word for the topic of marijuana, especially around parents or other authoritative figures. The five of them would gain the moniker “The Waldos” because of the wall they often stood at while smoking.

Jump forward 20 years and Dave Reddix would work as a roadie for Grateful Dead, sharing the code number and popularizing it among fans of the band. This would lead to a group of fans spreading fliers in 1991 with the number, wanting to smoke pot together in celebration on the 20th of April at 4:20 PM. Time credits reporter Steve Bloom for finding one of these fliers, publishing it in the High Times where he worked in May of 1992. This gave the term “420” national publicity, spreading the number to supporter all across the country. In the mid-to-late 70s, the code “420” had been used by Californian police to alert that there was marijuana smoking in progress, though this followed the “Waldos” use of it.

Little did the creator of this flier know, it was their actions that helped spread the 420 holiday, uniting marijuana users and advocates alike.

Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Seth Rogen, Miley Cyrus, and Willie Nelson have been vocal in the 420 community, promoting the use and legalization of weed products. Whether you call it marijuana, Cannabis, weed, hemp, pot, dope, grass, Mary Jane, or something else, we hope you have fun and spend your 4/20 safely and responsibly!