420 (cannabis culture)

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Santa Cruz 4/20 celebration at Porter Meadow on UCSC campus in 2007
Santa Cruz 4/20 celebration at Porter Meadow on UCSC campus in 2007

4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is a term used in North America as a discreet way to refer to the consumption of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with the drug subculture around cannabis.

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[edit] Origins and observances

Although many diverse theories exist to explain the origin of the term, one central root of the phrase stems from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California in 1971; the teens would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis at the Louis Pasteur statue.[1][2][3] The group was known as "The Waldos" because they would sit against a wall[3] and became popularized in the late 1980s by fans of The Grateful Dead.[4] Many North American cannabis users continue to observe 4:20 as a time to smoke communally. By extension April 20 ("4/20" in U.S. dating shorthand) has evolved into a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.[5][6][7] In some locations this celebration coincides with Earth Week.[8][9][10]


[edit] References in popular culture

On 20 April 2007 at 4:20pm PDT, over 700 people gathered at City Hall in Victoria, BC to celebrate Victoria's 10th annual 4/20 celebration. Victoria police were not visibly in attendance
On 20 April 2007 at 4:20pm PDT, over 700 people gathered at City Hall in Victoria, BC to celebrate Victoria's 10th annual 4/20 celebration. Victoria police were not visibly in attendance[11]
  • The television show "Code Monkeys" frequently makes use of the term, usually in the form of a score whenever Dave gets high. The first episode of Season two aired on April 20th, 2008 (4/20) and was dedicated to the main characters' pursuit of marijuana. Tommy Chong guest-starred.

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

  1. ^ 420 (Language). Snopes.com - Urban Legends Reference Pages (2005-04-19). Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  2. ^ 420 Timeline. High Times (2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  3. ^ a b Attack of the Show: The Waldos: Truth Behind "420"
  4. ^ '420' enthusiasts honor cannabis on high holiday. cbs5.com (2007). Retrieved on 2007-04-20.<ref></ref>
  5. ^ Steven Hager discusses 4/20 on ABC News as a "counterculture holiday"
  6. ^ Students gathering on 4/20 at Colorado University in Boulder
  7. ^ Thousands at UCSC burn one to mark cannabis holiday
  8. ^ Earth Week in Guam
  9. ^ Earth Week in San Diego
  10. ^ Earth Week in Victora, BC
  11. ^ Lavigne, Andrea (April 25th, 2007), “Celebration up in smoke: Pot supporters celebrate 10th anniversary”, Victoria News, <http://www.mapinc.org/newstcl/v07/n525/a08.html> 
  12. ^ Boulder Renters Seek Pot-Smoking Roommates: Boulder Still a Bastion of Hippies and Radicals, Apparently. New West (Living section) - The Voice of the Rocky Mountains (2006-05-08). Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  13. ^ Captain Cannabis comic book
  14. ^ High Times Magazine, February 2007, The Buzz section page 13, "Sensi Superman"
  15. ^ Skunk Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 8, Cool Stuff section, "420 Verne Signature Series"
  16. ^ QsHouse Radio/iPod Interview - Verne Andru: the George Lucas of the comic world
  17. ^ "New Method Man Album 4:21...The Day After", Sixshot. Retrieved on 2007-04-19. (English) 

[edit] External links