420, what is it and what does it mean?
There are a lot of different theories going around about 420. One theory is that it is the police reporting code for reporting cannabis-related crimes. Another is that there are 420 active ingredients in cannabis. And even crazier, some even link it to Adolf Hitler. It is also a date when various 420/cannabis products are offered at a discount. But where does 420 really come from and what does it mean in the cannabis world?
What is the origin of 420?
The real origin of 420 is found in the United States. In 1971, a group of students, the Waldos, came up with 420 as a code. For example, they could agree in one word that at 4:20 it was time to smoke a joint again. Other theories, such as that it is the police reporting code for cannabis crimes, can be consigned to the realm of fiction. After that, the term fell into oblivion until the 1990s.
A mysterious flyer promoting 420 has been circulating at Grateful Dead shows, especially in Northern California. A copy of the flyer makes its way from an Oakland show to the High Times offices in New York. San Rafael was the home of Grateful Dead Productions and also the place where the aforementioned Waldos went to school in 1971.
In the 1990s, 420 quickly gained popularity again. Partly thanks to the emergence of the world wide web, but references also appear in films. For example, the clocks in the popular film Pulp Fiction (by Quentin Tarantino) are set at 4:20.
420 as a protest against legislation
Since 1995, events have been held on April 20, partly as a protest against the illegal status of cannabis, which was still ubiquitous at the time. And of course as a fun party for cannabis enthusiasts. More and more events are now taking place worldwide on April 20. The UK, for example, has the annual 420 celebrations in London’s Hyde Park, where thousands from across the UK gather to commit an act of mass civil disobedience by smoking cannabis, in protest against laws making recreational users criminals.
it will probably always be a date on which protests and events are organized. Although cannabis is, fortunately, becoming legal in more and more places around the world, we are not there yet in that respect. The number of countries where cannabis will be legal in 2022 can be counted on two hands. Not to mention the Dutch tolerance policy. But the protests and events are certainly working in terms of raising awareness on the subject. So it can only go in the right direction from here.
It also shows that the acceptance of cannabis is not so obvious at all. 2022 is the first year in which the police explicitly promised not to arrest peaceful proponents of cannabis. Until 2022 there was at least some kind of police disturbance, where (many) people were often arrested. Also peaceful ‘demonstrators’ were arrested for public possession or use of cannabis, for example. Although it cannot be ruled out that this will never happen again.
Although it is said that the police will not act harshly, the London police also state that no laws should be broken. In theory, people can still be arrested there for smoking a joint in public. Just like it can still cause you nagging in the Netherlands. Worldwide acceptance is still a long way off, unfortunately.
What does 420 mean?
The meaning of 420 today goes beyond a time or date. In the meantime, the lake has grown into a state of mind. Of course, it’s always nice to smoke a joint on April 20 and at 4:20 on any given day. So you can determine the value of the different meanings of cannabis enthusiasts about 420 all by yourself. The hearts of many connoisseurs will beat a little faster when 4:20 passes on the clock or when it is April 20th.
Either way, 420 will always hold a special meaning for most enthusiasts. And as long as cannabis is not legalized worldwide, it will probably always be a date of protests and events. Although cannabis is, fortunately, becoming legal in more and more places around the world, we are not there yet in that respect. The number of countries where cannabis will be legal in 2022 can be counted on two hands. Not to mention the Dutch tolerance policy. But the protests and events are certainly working in terms of raising awareness on the subject. So it can only go in the right direction from here.
