420 and Weed: What’s the Connection?

467

420 is celebrated as an international day for smoking weed. However, very few people know how the day came to be or the history behind it. It all started with a few high school students who made a resolve to be smoking weed daily at 4:20. The tradition stayed on, and 4:20 was converted to 4/20 to become a calendar day instead of time. The day is used to campaign and lobby for the legalization of cannabis in countries where it is illegal.

What is 420?

The international day dubbed 420 is celebrated on April 20 annually. It should be written as 4/20, but people got used to the common 420 references. Its history dates back to the 1970s in California State, USA. The main aim of the day is not just to smoke weed but also to sensitize people about its use, legalization, and benefits. 

There is a lot of information about cannabis available online. Different stakeholders, including hub420.shop, support the publishing of valuable information on various topics. The global event brings the celebrations to a climax on this day. 

How 420 started

The roots of 420 can be traced to a group of 5 high school students in California. Their names were Mark Gravich, Steve Capper, Jeffrey Noel, Dave Reddix, and Larry Schwartz. They were schooling at San Rafael High School in 1971. To hide their weed-smoking activities, they created a code language to communicate their meeting point and day to smoke weed. 

One of the main codes was 420, which indicated the smoking time would be 4:20 pm. Depending on the reply the person got, they would know if the other person was ready to smoke, was stoned, or didn’t have any weed with them. Neither the teachers nor the kids’ parents understood the language. 

The students would do weed leaning against a wall, and they nicknamed themselves the Waldos. They had discovered a large, abandoned cannabis farm near the school which gave them a continuous supply of weed. 

How 420 is connected to weed

On April 20 each year, people around the world gather to celebrate weed and protest its illegality. In the UK, 420 is mostly celebrated at Hyde Park, London. After high school, the 5 students did not stop advocating the use of weed among teenagers and youth. They would invite their friends to join them in smoking weed to feel high. Its popularity grew from a small group to a national one. 

It became entrenched in pop culture, and its popularity spread across the world. That is when 4:20 changed to 4/20 and, eventually, 420, and the day became international to date. It became a popular day for smoking weed, even to beginners. There was not much research then done on weed and users would smoke it in its raw state. Nevertheless, the day became connected with weed, and weed use spread fast among teenagers and youth. 

Image source: https://hub420.shop/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BCN-critical-XXL.jpg 


Common 420 activities

420 activities differ from one country to the next. It depends on whether weed is legal in the country or state. In places where it is legal, it depends on whether the laws have been expanded to accommodate more user concerns. In the UK, for instance, people gather at Hyde Park for two key things. 

They smoke weed and after they get high, they begin to protest against its illegality. The event was not celebrated in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, but it came back to full swing in 2022. After many years of struggle, medical weed became legal in the UK in 2018. The fight for the expansion of laws and the legalization of recreation is ongoing. 

The fight has attracted greater attention from the parliament, City Hall, and the police leadership. The UK citizens hope legalization will be fast-tracked soon, and they will continue to celebrate smoking weed and remember the history of their struggle. In the US, 37 states have legalized weed so far. 

Conclusion

420 is an international day celebrated on April 20 annually. The day was started by five high school students who started smoking weed at 4:20 daily. The day became entrenched in pop culture, which made it popular globally.

Mexico Daily Post