In American culture, the number 420 (pronounced four-twenty) relates to the consumption of cannabis and elements of its associated culture. The exact origin of the term is unknown. Marijuana users gather on April 20 every year to celebrate and consume marijuana.
origin
- Snopes.com, High Times magazine, The Marijuana-Logues, and The Straight Dope claim that in the early 1970s, a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California used to meet every day after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana at the water tower. One piece of evidence supporting an origin of the term from the time 4:20 is the fact that the number is always said "four twenty" and not "four hundred twenty." This theory is also the most cited, and the most widely-accepted
Many American cities and colleges hold pro-marijuana rallies, or at least celebratory marijuana gatherings, on April 20. The authorities' reaction to these gatherings varies from place to place, as shown by two prominent examples.
University of Colorado
The largest known celebration of this kind has been held annually for the past decade at the University of Colorado's Farrand Field in Boulder, Colorado. In 2005, responding to negative press that year, University Police made their first attempt to disperse the gathering. They posted signs saying student were not allowed on the field that afternoon. After the field was overrun by an estimated 2000 or more students, police declined to issue any citations, as with past years. They did, however, turn the sprinklers on in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Colorado is one of a handful of states that has decriminalized small amounts of marijuana.
University of Vermont
It was a tradition for many years at the University of Vermont for a very large amount of people to gather on the campus green and smoke openly in protest of marijuana prohibition laws. The protest was traditionally tolerated by the police, who viewed it as an act of civil disobedience and would merely observe to ensure the safety of participants and bystanders. The annual protest was squashed on April 20, 2002, however, due to a decree by incoming University President Daniel Fogel, who ordered campus police to maintain a strict, heavily armed presence on the campus green. Students were not allowed to stay on the green (for any reason) and students who attempted to do so were ID'd, searched and detained. Fogel has stated multiple times before and since that he was trying to clean up the "reputation" of the University. Since then, police wearing bullet-proof vests and armed with shotguns have been a staple of 4/20 celebrations on the green; and while the protest has gone forward on a much smaller scale, police now arrest any smokers and the tone has changed markedly from that of a peaceful, albeit defiant, protest to one of conflict and division between students, police, and administrators.
Occurrences In Music
- "Even in His Youth", a b-side by Nirvana (on the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit") - listed as 4:20 in duration on the single's cover, while the song's length is actually 3:06.
- The Stephen Stills song "4+20", from the 1970 album Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young has the numbers in the title and begins, "Four and twenty years ago ..."
- The death metal band Six Feet Under recorded a song called "420" for their 1997 album Warpath.
- The H.P. Lovecraft theory for the origin of 4:20 was first postulated on the official web-site for the rock band Tool.
- Rap artist Afroman released an album called "4RO20" and his website runs under the slogan "Where it's always 4RO20". Also, he changed the label on his "Colt 45" bottle to say "Cult 420", as seen on his website. Also, the clock shown on his website is stopped at 4:20.
- The Album "Royal Highness" by the Kottonmouth Kings lists all song durations as 4:20, actual song times vary.
- The song "Smokin'", by Boston lasts for 4:20.
- The song "Rollin'" by Dungeon Family lasts for 4:20.
Occurrences in Film & Television
- In the colorized version of the 1936 anti-marijuana/exploitation classic Reefer Madness, there is a brief subliminal flash showing 4:20 with a marijuana leaf in the background, 20 minutes and 24 seconds into the film. The colorized DVD was originally released on April 20, 2004, another reference to the slang term.
- In the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, many clocks can be seen to read 4:20.
- In an episode of the show Futurama called "The Farnsworth Parabox", an alternate universe where everyone is a hippie is numbered as Universe 420.
- The number is also prominently featured in the 2005 made-for-television musical version of Reefer Madness, which is based on the Reefer Madness stage show, which itself is based on the aforementioned 1936 film.
- In WWE wrestling, the team of Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio used a double leg drop termed "the 420", ostensibly because of the number of legs involved (4) and their combined shoe sizes (20). Throughout his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling, Rob Van Dam's various mottos generally incorporated the slang. An example would be, "It's 4:19. Got a minute?". Another familiar line was "RVD 4:20" (which was as if quoting a verse of the bible) which stood for "I just Smoked your Ass!"
- The TV show Roseanne: in an episode when Rosanne's sister Jackie is babysitting the kids. She sees them off in the morning, before school, saying to Darlene "See you at 3:30." Darlene replies "unless I have detention, then I'll see you at 4:20."
- In Good Eats, a clock in the kitchen is often set to 4:20.
- The airline flight featured in the 1954 John Wayne film The High and the Mighty was Trans-Orient Pacific Airlines flight 420.
- In Fat Albert, Doris (Kyla Pratt) is seen wearing a shirt reading, "PHILA 4:20"
- In Lost in Translation, Lydia sends Bob a fax at 4:20 am.
- It is rumored that in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, all of the clocks show the time as 4:20.
Occurrences On the Radio
- The now-defunct Los Angeles, California radio station Arrow 93.1 used to play an authentic vinyl record every day at 4:20. This segment was called the Vinyl Vault.
- Many FM radio stations in the United States play a Bob Marley track daily at 4:20 PM (sometimes AM as well), usually named Mandatory Marley.
- The radio show 4:20 Drug War News, a short talk segment which promotes legalization of certain drugs, is usually aired at 4:20.
- At 4:20, the XM Radio station "The Boneyard" reminds everyone that it is 'bong time'
- In Canada, the Edmonton radio station KROCK plays a "Roll Your Own" request segment every day at 4:20 PM.
- The Toronto, Canada, radio station 102.1 The Edge has interesting discussions during 'The 420 Thought'. Thoughts such as "Where is the best place to 420?"
- The Alexandria, Minnesota station KX 92 plays a "classic comedy" bit every weekday at 4:20 PM.
- In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the FM radio station 105.9 WXDX (The X) plays a "420 Pause for the Cause" request segment at 4:20 PM.
- In Portsmouth, Ohio, from 2000 - 2002, the FM radio station 94.9 WZIO (now defunct) used to air a segment during "The Traffic Jam with Tony Phillips" entitled "Get the Led Out" at 4:20pm weekdays, where 15-20 minutes of "non-standard" Led Zeppelin music was played (time enough to roll and smoke a joint with some friends). The segment was sponsored in part by Visine Eye Drops, "because they get the red out when we get the Led out..."
- Radio station 100.5 The Zone, which is based out of Sacramento, California, features a daily brain teaser-like contest at 4:20 PM, called the 420 Brain Drain.
- Radio station 103.9 "Santa Cruz X" plays a new song every weekday at 4:20 PM, encouraging listeners to "toke it" or "choke it," depending on whether they liked it and want it to become a regular tune on the station or not.
- In Seattle, Washington, radio station 104.9 The Monkey encourages listeners to call in and do bong rips over the phone at 4:20.
- In Nashville, Tennessee, radio station 105.9 The Rock airs a segment every weekday at 4:20 called the "4:20 Smokebreak." Host Joe Elvis tells listeners, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
- In Abilene, Texas, radio station 107.9 KEYJ "Rock 108" airs a short comedy segment every weekday at 4:20 called the "4:20 Funny".
- Manassas VA / DC Area--DC101 Plays "Smoke 2 Joints" and asks callers to do bong hits, on air.
- In Knoxville, Tennessee the radio station 94.3 "Extream Radio" featured the "4:20 club", during which people would call and check into the club every day at approximately 4:20.
- In Waterloo, Iowa the radio station Rock 108 has a feature they call the "4:20 Buzz Cut" in which newly released music is played at 4:20 in the afternoon every weekday.
- Radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, California airs the local time-of-day phone service announcing that it is 4:20 PM: "Good afternoon. At the tone, Pacific Standard (Daylight) Time will be...four twenty exactly."
- NPR radio station KUOW-FM in Seattle, Washington always announces "The local time is 4:20.".
- 97.9 WGRD[1] in Grand Rapids, Michigan plays a set of music everyday at 4:20 PM. They call it the "420 Overdose"
- In Phoenix, Arizona, radio station 103.9 The Edge, has a Manditory Marley at 4:20 everyday, where they play a Bob Marley song..
Other Pop Culture Occurrences
- The discoverer of LSD, Dr. Albert Hofmann, writes in his book "LSD: My Problem Child" that his first self-experiment with the drug occurred at 4:20 in the afternoon on April 16, 1943.
- The second line of the first verse in the children's nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence' reads: "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie". ("Baked" is also a common euphemism for being under the influence of cannabis). However, this poem was written long before 4:20 or the term baked entered the language.
- The California law that authorizes and regulates medical uses of marijuana was Senate Bill 420 (Chapter 875/2003, John Vasconcellos). [2]
- The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which would have prevented the U.S. Federal Government from using federal funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, was voted on in Roll call 420. It did not pass.
- A cannabis coffeeshop located at Oude Brugsteeg 27 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands is named the "420 Cafe".
- The number 420 is common in classified ads describing housing or individuals which permit or encourage marijuana use ("420 OK"). This practice is common in socially progressive communities such as Craigslist. One such "Housing to share" listing, from the Santa Cruz Sentinel in 1994, read:
- The Sweetwater Brewing Company makes a beer called Sweetwater 420, and gives their tours at 4:20.
- H.P. Lovecraft used the number in his short story "Within the Walls of Eryx" when referring to a scene wherein an intrepid space explorer stumbles across a "mirage plant."
- The Stone Coast Brewing company has a beer called the "420 IPA", and on the case is says, "It's always 4:20 somewhere!"
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