420 (pronounced "four-twenty") is a slang term in cannabis culture that refers to the consumption of cannabis, especially smoking around the time 4:20 p.m. It also refers to cannabis-oriented celebrations held annually on April 20 (4/20 in U.S. date format), which has become an unofficial holiday for marijuana users to celebrate and advocate for cannabis legalization
. The origin of 420 dates back to the early 1970s in San Rafael, California, where a group of five high school friends known as the "Waldos" used "4:20" as a code for meeting at 4:20 p.m. to search for an abandoned cannabis crop. Over time, this code word evolved into a general term for cannabis consumption. The phrase gained wider popularity through the Grateful Dead community and the magazine High Times , which helped spread the term nationally and internationally
. Today, 420 symbolizes not only a time and date to consume cannabis but also a broader cultural symbol of community, resistance, and the push for cannabis legalization and social acceptance
. It is marked by cannabis consumption, public events, and often dispensary discounts on April 20 each year
. In summary:
- 420 refers to 4:20 p.m., the time associated with cannabis smoking.
- April 20 (4/20) is celebrated as a cannabis culture holiday.
- Originated in the 1970s by a group of California teens called the Waldos.
- Popularized by cannabis culture, music communities, and media like High Times.
- Represents cannabis consumption, celebration, and advocacy for legalization
