THE STORY BEHIND 4-20 DAY

Cannabis- and hemp-oriented celebrations and worldwide protests take place every year around April 20, 4/20. Usually hemp and cannabis retailers and manufacturers offer substantial discounts for our products the week surrounding 4/20, including Pure Hemp Botanicals.

Origin Stories About 420

Many legends surround the origin of the date 4/20 becoming associated with cannabis. We have come to learn that 420 was not a crime code of the police. Nor is it the number of compounds in cannabis. Nor does it mark the date of death of someone famous like Jim Morrison or Janis Joplin. (1)

In fact, a group of five teenage boys from San Rafael High School coined the term. According to the The San Francisco Chronicle, “…it began as a secret language mumbled in school hallways to communicate a post-class smoke session…” that would take place at 4:20, near a wall they frequented, where the kids, who called themselves “Waldos,” gathered to smoke covertly in 1971. Afterwards, they would “take off in a ’66 Chevy Impala towards the Point Reyes Coast Guard Station in search of the secret stash” armed with a kind of treasure map they claimed they were given by a pair of brothers.

Lately it has been revealed that although the boys never found it, this stash was apparently real. SF Gate reports, “The grower of the weed, it turned out, was a coast guardsman named Gary Newman, stationed on the peninsula. Newman and some other friends had planted the weed for personal use, but they soon began to grow suspicious that their overseeing officers might bust them. So, to get rid of the evidence, Newman made a map for those interested to come harvest.” (2)

So That’s How 4:20 Began, What Is It Now?

Wikiedia’s sundry authors write, “April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday based on the celebration and consumption of cannabis. Events typically advocate for cannabis liberalization and legalization….4/20 is half celebration and half call to action.”(3)

On this day, around the world, people demonstrate publicly to have marijuana legalized, or at least legitimized; to have convictions for its use overturned and forgiven; and for pending legislation reducing cannabis and hemp penalties to be passed. Also on this day, people get together to celebrate this ancient plant by enjoying it, especially outside.

Fun Facts About 420

When you say the term, say “four twenty,” not “four hundred and twenty,” because it refers to a date (and, as we just learned, a time after classes!)
One of the California Waldos, “Waldo” Reddix, became a roadie for the Grateful Dead and called for 4:20 pm to be the socially accepted time of the day to consume cannabis. Grateful Dead followers helped promote the phrase to common usage. Other Waldos are in finance or are business owners.
State and Federal bills proposing the decriminalization and delisting of marijuana often incorporate the term 420. For example, H.R. 420, which would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and return regulation to the states, was introduced to the US House early in 2019.
In the US, signs bearing the number 420 are frequently stolen. In Colorado, the Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on I-70 east of Denver with one reading 419.99 in an attempt to stop the thievery, however, the folklore of the 419.99 sign has caused it to be stolen, too, as well as becoming a tourist destination.(3)
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that says that the evidence does not support that traffic accidents are any higher on 4/20. (4) The title of the study is hilarious: “Re-examining the Association Between “4/20” and Fatal Crashes—Doobie-ous Data?”
The State of Colorado auctioned off several cannabis-themed personalized license plates in 2021, with the bidding to be closed on April 20 (4/20). The highest bid shortly before the auction closed was over $6,500. (3)

So whether you will be enjoying the health benefits of Pure Hemp Botanicals softgels as part of your daily health regimen, or you’ll be relaxing with an extra Pure Elevate Gummy or destressing with a double shot of Pure Balance full spectrum tincture, please relax, unwind, and celebrate 420 Day with us!