What is 420 & Why Do We Love it So?
Even if you never smoked cannabis in your entire life, it is still likely that you’ve heard of the high holiday that is 420, but maybe you’ve wondered—what is 420, and why is it such a big deal?
Every year on April 20th cannabis lovers worldwide celebrate the medicinal plant with events, merch and special in-store offers. But why on this specific day? How did this number come to be associated with weed? We’re here to help you learn more about this amazing plant and the background of the 4/20 date.
420 Myths Debunked
We’re going to start our “what is 420” journey with some things that are not true—but fun to think about. One early idea was that 420 was the California police code for marijuana smoking/possession, but that code is used for homicide. Yet another had to do with the Bob Dylan song Rainy Day Woman #12 & #35. If you multiply these together, you get 420, but that one seems so far-fetched we’re shocked anyone believed it for any length of time. Other theories elude us completely. For instance, 420 has been linked to the day of Bob Marley’s death. However, he passed on May 11th. Some people believe it has something to do with Adolf Hitler's birthday, but that has nothing to do with cannabis. One idea that might be valid is that April 20 is the best day to plant cannabis, but that would be dependent on where you're planting it in the world.
The Waldos and 420
There are many theories surrounding 420 and its origins, but they all lead us to California for the most part. It was there, in Marin County, where a group of high school students called The Waldos from San Rafael High School started using the term as a code to meet near the Louis Pasteur statue on school property from where they would head out, looking for a patch of abandoned cannabis that was supposedly growing in the area. The code “420 Louie” was used among the group. Eventually, it shortened down to 420 and it stuck and spread—thanks to the Waldos having some pretty cool big brother and parental connections to the Grateful Dead—which may have contributed to the spread of the term. Now 420 is used all over the globe about smoking weed or being weed-friendly.
420 Now
The best part of 420 is that it’s a reason to come together as a cannabis community and celebrate. Advocates gather where cannabis is legal and enjoy and in places where cannabis is still illegal, people gather for legalization rallies. 420 is a big day for anyone in the world who enjoys weed, sees benefits in its consumption and wants it to be legal everywhere.
Have you ever heard the term 420-friendly? This can refer to a person or place. For example, a 420-friendly hotel or Airbnb will allow cannabis consumption on their property. If you’re going to someone’s house for the first time and they tell you that they’re “420-friendly,” you can come to visit and consume cannabis while you’re there. In places where cannabis is legal, like Amsterdam or Spain, a café or a bar can also be 420-friendly, which means you can buy and consume cannabis at the same place.
So, 420 is not just a random number. It is a cultural phenomenon that unites people from all around the world. The 20th of April is now a global cannabis day. Provisioning centers everywhere run special offers and even have events on 4/20. Both Wellflower locations will have giveaways, exceptional deals and vendors with swag all day, so stop on the highest holiday in the world—420!