Cannabis Culture: The Story Behind 420

On April 20 (4/20), thousands of people in America gather across the country to celebrate cannabis, even though it is still illegal in many states. And it’s not just in the US, but around the world where stoners get together in massive crowds to light up and honor The Flower.

So, why this date in particular? There are a few versions of the origin of 420 depending on who you ask. Some say is the number of chemicals in the cannabis plant, or it refers to teatime in the Netherlands, or it’s a secret code to avoid police, or it’s about the numbers in a Bob Dylan song multiplied in a formula.

Well, none of these rumors are true, so let’s set the record straight.

The story behind 420 started in the seventies in the Californian forest of Point Reyes and it also has something to do with the band, The Grateful Dead, now known as The Dead.

Five students at San Rafael High School were in a tight-knit group and were referred to as the Waldos because of where they used to hang out – by a wall next to the school. The teenagers heard via the grapevine that a member of the Coast Guard could no longer look after his cannabis crop planted near the Point Reyes Peninsula Coast Guard station. Somehow, they ended up with a map leading them to find the hidden treasure.

Being athletes, the Waldos agreed to meet up after sports practice at 4:20 pm to go on their hunt. They would spark up their joints en-route to Point Reyes and smoke the entire time while searching the area looking for the elusive cannabis plants. Although they made several exploration attempts, they never actually found the treasure.

But the 4:20 meeting time started to stick as a code word to go smoke pot and nobody knew what they were referring to. So, how did 420 spread to become a global phenomenon?

If you ask the Waldos, they attribute the 420 reach to The Grateful Dead who had moved to the area just a few blocks from their high school. The group had connections to the band and whenever they hung out together, they would all light up and share pot on a number of occasions. And it was through these interactions that 420 was used. If you passed a joint, you would say, “Hey, here 420” and that was the start of it. Then through The Dead’s concerts and tours, the term was coined and used prolifically. The High Times magazine also picked up on it and was in part responsible for taking it global. And then at some point during the nineties, the magazine had the foresight to purchase the 420.com web domain 420.com.

420 was cropping up everywhere, getting etched onto benches, painted on signs, and used through the cannabis community.

Nobody has come up with another plausible version and this origin has been checked and verified. So, the Waldos unofficially get credit for starting the phrase that’s turned into almost a cult thing. The Waldos are still around pursuing different but successful careers in marketing for a winery in Napa Valley, graphics and printing, and in roofing and gutting. company.

The Waldos prefer to keep their real identities under wraps because cannabis is still illegal, and they have professional reputations to uphold. In an interview with the Huffington Post, one of the Waldos said that he doesn’t really smoke pot these days because of his job and because he has to stay sharp and keep on top of his game. He made a valid point saying it seems like everybody else is now smoking and those who are overdoing it are seeing a karmic cost with things going wrong in some aspect of their life.

Suppose that rings true with the old saying “everything in moderation.”

The Waldo guy clarifies he has never endorsed the use of cannabis even though it worked for him at a stage in his life and he’s pretty sure his headstone will say “One of the 420 guys”.

420 has crept into mainstream environments and popular culture. In the movie, Pulp Fiction, all the clocks are set to 420. If you missed it, go check it out. Then in 2003, when the California legislature approved medical marijuana laws, it named the bill SB420.

And that’s how 420 made its way into our lives. Thanks to the Waldos.