Today is April 20. This is a day recognized around the world as an unofficial holiday celebrating the smoking of marijuana.
Why is 4/20 a day to celebrate smoking pot? Over the years, rumors have explained why 4/20 is a day to celebrate smoking pot, but the actual true story behind April 20th goes back to 1971. But before you hear the true story of how it came to be - let’s have fun with some of the ridiculous myths that are not true.
April 20th became the day to smoke pot because:
* There are 420 chemicals in marijuana. Not True: there are only 315 chemicals in marijuana.
* 420 if the official police code for “marijuana smoking in progress.” Not true: 420 is not a universal police code for smoking pot.
* April 20th is Hitler’s birthday. That’s true, but there is no connection with smoking pot.
* The Columbine mass shooting took place on 4/20. That’s true, but the shooters may have been inspired by Hitler’s birthday, but there is no connection with hitting the bong.
* 4:20 pm is teatime in Amsterdam. There is no set teatime in Amsterdam.
* Bob Marley died on April 20th, and smoking pot on this day every year commemorates his death. Not true: Bob Marley died May 11, 1981, and Marley’s birthday is in February.
* The Grateful Dead always stayed in hotel rooms that were numbered 420. Not true. And why would every hotel have a room 420 that was big enough to accommodate all of The Dead? The Grateful Dead did learn about the real story behind 4/20 and that spread among fans of The Dead.
* All clocks in the movie “Pulp Fiction” are set at 4:20. Not true, and the real story behind 4/20 predates the release of the movie.
* In the song, “Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35,” Bob Dylan sings repeatedly that “everybody must get stoned.” Plus - if you multiply 35 by 12 the answer is 420. That’s just a coincidence.
* The song, “Smokin,’” by Boston is 4 minutes and 20 seconds. That’s true, but that’s not the origin of 4/20.
Here is the true story of how April 20th - 4/20 - became the internationally recognized do for sparking a doob. However, even the truth in this case is somewhat foggy, which is understandable considering the nature of the substance that led to it.
In 1971, a group of five students at San Rafael High School in Northern California, known as The Waldos, had selected a spot to hang out and smoke pot and begin a search for mairjuana plants that had been cultivated by a Coast Guard service member near the Point Reyes Peninsula Coast Guard station. They were hoping to pick some free marijuana.
The Waldos were all student-athletes, and they chose 4:20 pm - after practice - at the time to begin their hunt for bud. To remind each other about their plans to search for the marijuana, they would simply make reference to 420 in the hallways at school. That became their code for getting together after practice to light up a fatty. The Waldos enjoyed being able to make reference to smoking pot without their teachers or parents having a clue about what they were talking about.
The origin of 4/20 can be traced back to the fall of 1971, which would indicate that it was the time - 4:20 pm - and not the date that started the use of 420 to celebrate smoking. Over time, 420 has become the international code for getting baked, and the numerical version of April 20th is 4/20.
The code 420 has become part of the lexicon of pot smokers. “420 friendly” roommates can be seen in listings in places, like Craigslist. Phrases like, “Let’s go 420” and “Do you have any 420” are all part of the counterculture language in the world of smokers.
The Waldos admit they never made any money from establishing the universal code of smoking pot, and they never did find the Mary Jane that was allegedly growing near that Coast Guard station in Northern California.
A total of 17 states have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and the state of Louisiana’s legislature is considering bills that would decriminalize or legalize the recreational usage of pot.
Marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug on the federal government’s list of drugs, which puts it on the same level as heroin, meth, and cocaine. That is a symptom of the government’s archaic attitude toward marijuana.
In full disclosure, I did smoke pot many years ago; and while I support the legalization of pot, I have no intent or interest in getting stoned. I think the time has come for our government to admit that keeping marijuana illegal is counterproductive on many fronts and reflects an antiquated mentality.
The legalization of marijuana should not be a political issue; but like almost everything else, it has become political with conservatives generally opposing legalization with liberals generally supporting it. I find that incredibly hypocritical because I don’t think there are hard stats indicating that conservatives are not hitting the pipe in large numbers.
Furthermore, supporting a government mandate keeping pot illegal defies that foundation of conservative ideology, which promotes less government intervention and more power to the individual to make decisions about their lives.
And isn’t it interesting that the Boomer generation turned smoking a joint into a recreational sport, but now as the establishment collectively cling to the idea that smoking pot is taboo?
