What is the Real Meaning of 420?

420

Also 4:20 or 4/20

420 is a cannabis slang term that refers to marijuana consumption. The term originated in 1971 when a group of California high school students used “4:20 PM” as a code to meet and smoke cannabis, and it later became popular worldwide through Grateful Dead culture and cannabis media.

420—also written as 4:20 PM or 4/20—is a slang term that refers to consuming marijuana. This can refer to 4/20, or April 20, a day commonly associated with cannabis; it can be a collective time to smoke cannabis; it can mean that someone is open to enjoying marijuana; or it can simply be a sign that you support cannabis consumption.¹ 

Ultimately, what started as a code became a movement across the marijuana industry that we still embrace today.

In 1971, a group of five high school students, who called themselves the Waldos, learned about an abandoned cannabis plant in a nearby forest—but they didn’t know its location. In a movie-like adventure, they collected a treasure map (maybe created by the plant’s owner if rumors are to be believed) and hunted for this elusive marijuana plant. To keep parents from learning about their mischief, the Waldos developed a code.²

After sports practice, each week, they would meet at 4:20 PM to smoke marijuana and continue their adventure. In the halls at school, they would remind one another of the 4:20 PM rendezvous time.² 

It just so happened that these high schoolers also had family ties to the Grateful Dead…

You might be wondering, how did one group of students make the number 420 famous? Actually, The Grateful Dead played an important role in the term making the leap from the Waldos to the rest of the world.

The Waldos had connections to the band and became good friends with some of the members. When band members and the audience heard the Waldos using the term 420, it caught on and took on its own life from there.² The number has become so popular, in fact, that Colorado transportation officials had to remove the ‘420’ mile marker on Interstate 70 because it kept getting stolen. It was replaced with mile marker 419.99.³

And there you have it. What began as five students with a treasure map has blossomed into an international celebration of and a rallying cry for the cannabis community.
 

And there you have it. What began as five students with a treasure map has blossomed into an international celebration of and a rallying cry for the cannabis community.
 

There are so many myths surrounding the cannabis code 420 that it would be hard to collect them all here. There are a few that stand out, however, as some of the most popular (and wrong) reasons why 420 is the number for marijuana and marijuana enthusiasts. You can consider the following popular myths about 420 busted:
 

Nope! This myth is also sometimes associated with the California penal code, while others say it’s the police code. Both are wrong. In Las Vegas, police use 420 as a code for homicide.⁴ Otherwise, 420 isn’t really used as a code at all. (And in California, the penal code for marijuana is Code 11357 HS.⁵ Penal code 420 refers to obstructing entry on public land.)⁶
 

No, there are likely more than 420. Research done on cannabis has taught us that there are a minimum of 400 chemicals in the plant, with over 60 being cannabinoids.⁷ It’s possible there are even more we haven’t discovered yet. That being said, there’s definitely no scientific connections between the cannabis plant and the number 420. 
 

No, Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981.⁶ 
 

Highly unlikely, especially since weather changes depending on where you are in the country. There’s no plant in the world that can be reliably planted on a single day, every year, year after year—cannabis included. While some cannabis cultivators do start their seeds in April, this is simply a coincidence and has nothing to do with 4/20.⁸ 
 

No, there is no specific tea time set in Amsterdam.
 

For its popularity among cannabis enthusiasts (and non-cannabis consumers), we get a lot of questions about 420. Here are just a few we’ve recently answered:

What does 420 mean?

420 is a slang term associated with cannabis that can refer to marijuana use, the time 4:20 PM, or April 20 (4/20), which is widely recognized as an unofficial cannabis holiday.
 

Where did the term 420 come from?

The term 420 originated in 1971 with a group of California high school students known as the Waldos. They used “4:20 PM” as a code for meeting after school to smoke cannabis. 

Why is April 20 called 4/20?

If you write April 20 in date format, it comes out as 4/20. As the meaning of 420 spread, this date became associated with cannabis culture.
 

Is 420 a police code for marijuana?

No. Despite a common myth, 420 is not a police code for marijuana. In California, marijuana-related offenses fall under different penal codes, and 420 has unrelated meanings in some law enforcement code systems.
 

What does "420-friendly” mean?

The term “420-friendly” means that a person or establishment is open to cannabis consumption. Common places to see the label “420-friendly” are on a vacation rental listing or in a dating profile.
 

The Real Meaning of 420

The real meaning of 420 traces back to a group of high school students in the 1970s, but its impact extends far beyond its origin. Today, 420 represents both a shared cultural reference and a symbol of how attitudes toward cannabis have changed over time.