What is 420 anyway?

42O anyway?

420 (pronounced four-twenty) is an iconic number in the world of cannabis. Today, 420 marks the day April 20th, when all things cannabis are celebrated around the world.

THE HISTORY

You may be wondering where, why and how 420 came about in the first place.

Well, we have to take you way back to 1971.

That year, at San Rafael High School, a group of friends heard through the grapevine that the U.S. Coast Guard had hidden a stash of weed in the nearby woods. As the story goes, armed with a crudely drawn map and bored out of their minds, the friends set out to explore the woods every day after school at 4:20pm.

They never found the stash, but 4:20 stuck, morphing from a meetup time, to code for all things cannabis. Eventually, through famous people like the Grateful Dead who became interwoven with these infamous friends, the term spread far and wide. Today, 420 is celebrated on April 20th, and 420 has even made its way to legislation with a few cannabis-related bills donning the number.

THE ACTIVISM

It's not all fun and games on April 20th. As a counterculture holiday and a global movement, 420 is a call to action for cannabis reform. While it's an opportunity for cannabis users to freely be themselves and celebrate the progress we've made in legalization, it’s also a time used to demand more of the people who write our laws.

THE CELEBRATION

There's no wrong way to celebrate 420, but here are some suggestions:

Across the U.S. marches and other group gatherings are held every year. Check your local event calendar to see if anything is happening this year.

It’s a good day to educate yourself and others on the many benefits of cannabis.

If you're stuck at home, support your local dispensary (or another supplier) and relax, you've earned it.  Cheers to 420!