Day 420, 4:20, or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption, particularly smoking around 4:20 p.m., as well as cannabis-related festivals, held yearly on April 20 (which is 4/20 in US form). On April 20, cannabis dispensaries in states where cannabis is legal will frequently offer discounts on their products.
Major rallies are held across the country, particularly in Colorado, California, and the other 15 states that have legalized marijuana.
The celebrations are becoming more mainstream and marketed as support for marijuana legalization grows. As a result, marijuana businesses are seeking new ways to sell and market their products over the holiday season.
This contrasts sharply with the holiday’s original iteration, which was mainly welcomed by a counterculture movement made up of hippies and others who despised greed, corporate domination, and all things conventional. And this reveals a lot about how marijuana is changing in America as it becomes legal.
Origin of the Day 420
In 1971, five high school kids in San Rafael, California, coined the word “4:20” to describe a plan to find an abandoned cannabis crop using a treasure map created by the farmer. The five kids chose the Louis Pasteur statue on the San Rafael High School grounds as their meeting location, and 4:20 p.m. as their meeting time. The phrase “4:20 Louis” was used by the Waldos to refer to this plan.
After repeated failed attempts to locate the crop, the gang shortened their term to “4:20,” which later became a code word for cannabis consumption among the youths.
Waldos’ story was popularised by Steven Hager of the High Times. The earliest mention of 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 celebration was in the May 1991 issue of High Times, followed by the connection to the Waldos in December 1998.
After “Waldo” Reddix became a roadie for the Grateful Dead’s bassist, Phil Lesh, Hager attributed the phrase’s early spread to Grateful Dead fans and campaigned for 4:20 pm to be the socially acceptable time of day to consume cannabis.
How are celebrations done on Day 420?
The meaning of 4/20 changes from person to person. Some people are only interested in getting high and having a good time. Others see the day as an opportunity to push for legalization or to celebrate legalization given that it has been accepted by more states and has widespread support.
In the 1970s, 4/20 was part of a smaller counterculture movement that used marijuana as a symbol to oppose a larger systemic situation in the United States, such as overseas wars and corporate power. Keith Humphreys, a drug policy expert at Stanford University, previously told, “Marijuana was the way you said you weren’t a suit.”
Marijuana legalization activists have attempted to formalize the event in recent years, viewing it as an opportunity to expand their political cause. Organizers of the 2014 Denver rally compared the fight for legal marijuana to “the time when Jews fled slavery in Egypt,” which is honored in Passover celebrations. “This year’s rally represents the continuing fight for freedom from economic slavery for marginalized members of our community and a rebirth of creative genius that will get us there,” they wrote.
Companies like Invest in Cannabis have admitted that they’re already using the holiday to promote the industry and its products, same as how beer and other alcohol companies use St. Patrick’s Day.
Is it legal to celebrate 420?
Cannabis is prohibited in the United Kingdom and is categorized as a Class B substance. Possessing, growing, distributing, or selling it is forbidden. As it is not good for your health and consuming it can be very harmful.
If you’re caught with cannabis, you might face up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
Producing and supplying the substance can result in a sentence of up to 14 years in prison, an infinite fine, or both.
Thousands of people, on the other hand, openly celebrate 420 every year. The largest gatherings take place in Hyde Park, where thousands of people gather for cannabis picnics and demonstrations.
At 4.20 p.m., the celebrations reach their peak, with people cheering and releasing particularly huge puffs of smoke into the air.
Twenty individuals were detained at the London park on 420 in 2016 for a variety of drug offenses, with dozens more receiving warnings. However, you can openly and freely celebrate day 420 in the countries where marijuana is legalized.