A Different Kind of 4/20

There are many myths as to how April 20th became the international holiday for cannabis consumers. Some say that 420 was the California police code for marijuana, others insist it is a nod to Bob Dylan's song, ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ and its lyric, ‘Everybody must get stoned’ (12 x 35 = 420). The truth can be found where much counter-culture lore originates—public high school.

In 1971 a group of 5 high school students in San Rafael, California were said to have heard a story about a lost cannabis crop. Complete with drawn out map, these 5 students would gather at together by a statue of Louis Pasteur at 4:20 to go hunt for the abandoned herb. Known as the ‘Waldos’ because of their penchant for standing against a nearby wall and smoking ganja. The term started out as Louis 420, a nod to both the time and location of their after school activity, but was soon shortened to just ‘420’.

So how did the term spread? Turns out a couple of these ‘Waldos’ had strong ties to a local band, The Grateful Dead. For the next couple of decades 420 came to be known as ‘dead head’ slang for smoking marijuana. Around Christmas time 1990, in Oakland, California, a High Times reporter named Steven Bloom saw a flyer being passed around which referenced ‘420’ and overheard the term being used. From here he took the term worldwide. Since then, nods to 420 have been embedded in much of our pop culture—for instance, clocks reading 420 appear in both the film Pulp Fiction and the children’s show Rocko’s Modern Life, amongst others. And if you have any doubts about the term’s origin, the original flag and posters—as well as high school newspaper articles and notes dating back to the ‘70s—can be found in the Waldo’s safety deposit box!

April 20th has been known as international pot smoking day ever since. All around the globe individuals participate by attending concerts and cookouts, smoke sessions and politically motivated smoke-ins. It’s a day for celebrations, political rallies, and sharing dank herb. But this year is a bit different. No puff, puff, pass. No large groups listening to music and swapping stories. But, even though this is not exactly a celebratory year in general, the cannabis community has gotten creative. Many companies for California to Copenhagen have put together virtual events to make your 420 smoke session a little less lonely. (Not to mention the Netflix release of Cooked with Cannabis, which can keep the fun going for days!) And don’t forget, your local stores will still be offering some killer deals. For us at the Reserve we’ll be celebrating all week! Come in, say hi, and get some great deals on flower!

And for those of you looking for something to do this 4/20, here’s a list of virtual 420 events going on!