4:20, 4/20, 420…it’s four twenty…what does that mean?

4:20 or 4/20 is a term used in North America as a discreet way to refer to the consumption and/or support of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with the drug subculture around cannabis. Phrases such as “420 friendly” sometimes appear in roommate advertisements  indicating that the current occupants are tolerant of cannabis users.

Although many diverse theories exist to explain the origin of the term, one central root of the phrase stems from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California in 1971; the teens would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis at the Louis Pasteur statue. The term became part of their group’s salute, “420 Louis!”, and became popularized in the late 1980s by fans of The Grateful Dead.

Many North American cannabis users continue to observe 4:20 as a time to smoke communally. By extension April 20 (“4/20”) has evolved into a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. In some locations this celebration coincides with Earth Week.
420 is also the title of a comic book series featuring the alternative superhero Captain Cannabis. Noting that “the national weed smoking day is 4/20

As a hemp activist, 4/20 is an ideal day to gather to celebrate & educate others about the benefits of the hemp plant.  So wear your hemp shirts, skirts, and shoes … create art about hemp or even better using hemp products….change your social networking photos to a pro hemp image and/or write a post about industrial hemp, link to sites that promote hemp knowledge and industrial hemp products.

Help others Rediscover Hemp this April 20th!

~MaryJanesGirl