Why Is 420 Weed Day Celebrated?

The number 420 is no longer just three digits anymore. People celebrate 420, or Weed Day, around the world to pay tribute to the most popular guilty pleasure, cannabis.

Why is 420 Weed Day celebrated, though?

Cannabis is now legal in more than 24 states. These states celebrate the day of cannabis on the 20th of April at 4:20 pm to raise awareness about the recreational and medicinal benefits of this plant.

On this cultural holiday, marijuana enthusiasts gather to smoke weed at festivals and pay homage to weed. Many legal weed states also have discounted pot deals.

People also hang out with their weed buds to smoke in public spaces on this day. But how did 420 Weed Day originate, and why is it widely celebrated? Let’s break the myths and get to the bottom of the story!

Why Is 420 Weed Day an Unofficial Holiday?

According to the National Day Calendar, 420 Weed Day is celebrated every year on the 20th of April. Consumers, producers, and all advocates for marijuana celebrate and smoke weed in public gatherings.

This unconventional day has become more of a rally that creates awareness and seeks to legalize weed in other parts of the world for recreational and medicinal purposes.

According to federal law, cannabis is illegal in most states for both recreational and medical use. However, in states such as Colorado, huge masses of people are seen rallying on the 20th of April, advocating for weed and smoking in public gatherings to celebrate the plant.

A professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine at the University of Colorado witnessed the celebrations and said, “Smoke billows out of places where people gather to celebrate. It is like a factory smokestack.”

Weed Day may be an unofficial holiday, but we can surely say that cannabis consumers and advocates take it very seriously!

Where Did 420 Originate? Breaking the Myths

If you’ve come across 420 Weed Day, you may wonder why people celebrate it around the globe and what its origin is. Since the 1970s, weed enthusiasts have celebrated this unofficial holiday.

The specific date and time have many myths around it. You may come across some of them on social media. Let’s look into the two most popular myths.

Police Code Theory

The police code theory is a relatively famous myth around weed day. According to this theory, 420 originated from a police code in California for the use of weed. However, this popular myth is untrue even though it continues to circulate.

Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”

If you haven’t heard of the police code theory, then you may have come across another popular myth around 420. This myth suggests that the number 420 refers to Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.”

The theory suggests that if you multiply 12 by 35, it equals 420. However, this is a pure coincidence as there isn’t any evidence to back these claims. The song also doesn’t refer to cannabis and 420.

The Real Story | The Waldos and the Birth of 420

Since the two most popular theories are simply myths, why is 420 Weed Day actually celebrated on the 20th of April, and what significance does this number have? The real story originates from California’s San Rafael High School.

A group of five teenagers who referred to themselves as the Waldos from the school ritualistically smoked weed at 4.20 pm each day. This number became popular among the group as a secret code for cannabis.

Numerous postmarked letters, school newspaper clippings, artifacts, and even military records trace the origin of the story, proving that 420 first became synonymous with weed in California’s high school.

These records from the 1970s were kept in a bank vault, which makes this the actual origin story for 420 Weed Day.

How Is 420 Weed Day Celebrated?

In the late 1990s, the term 420 had become quite popular amongst cannabis users, particularly around the West Coast. This term went mainstream through media attention and mass rallying for the cannabis legalization movement.

In 1991, a famous magazine helped promote 420 by publishing an article referencing the 20th of April as the day for marijuana celebration. This highlight quickly became famous, and 420 became a symbol of marijuana culture, advocacy, and a call for legalizing this plant.

Today, thousands of cannabis enthusiasts smoke weed in public gatherings and concerts. Some states have large-scale festivals where the crowd gathers to smoke cannabis and celebrate this plant.

On 420 Weed Day, the pot shops offer discounts. Some stalls at festivals even add a touch of creativity by letting weed enthusiasts make their own pipes. You may also find some breweries making 420-themed beers, especially in California.

Where Is 420 Weed Day Celebrated?

Cannabis enthusiasts celebrate 420 weed day in all the states where marijuana is legal. If you’re looking to participate in the 420 celebrations, you should look into the cannabis laws of your area.

The legalization of weed is dependent on state laws, and different levels of use determine legalization. For example, some states allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes if the products contain less than 0.3% THC, while other states have legalized weed for recreational purposes.

In over 24 states, weed is fully legal for recreational use. Here is a list of the states where weed is legal in 2024.

• Alaska
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• New York
• Oregon
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• Washington, DC

If your state has strict cannabis laws, it may take a long time for weed to become legal for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

But worry not! Thanks to the 420 Weed Day, many weed advocates around the world are working towards legalizing cannabis and raising awareness about the numerous benefits of its products.

Wrapping Up

The myths and the reality for the 420 Weed Day are very different. The one explanation that makes sense and has sufficient evidence is the one regarding Waldos. This group of teenagers in California turned a simple evening meeting into a symbol of marijuana culture.

Over the years, the number 420 has become a local word for weed. Celebrations, advocacy, and rallying on this day as a call for legalizing cannabis does raise awareness.

The mass celebrations have represented that cannabis has a global community, and the movement continues to focus on evolving cannabis laws in the rest of the world.

The 20th of April will remain an unofficial holiday to remind everyone of the journey towards legalizing marijuana and the significance of cannabis culture!