Unraveling the Origins of 420: The Symbolic Connection to Marijuana

SEATTLE (AP) — Thursday marks marijuana culture's high holiday, 4/20, when cannabis fans gather in clouds of smoke at music festivals, parks, and other venues to celebrate their love for the herb. But why is 420 associated with weed? Let's be blunt: 4/20 is a day to light up. Here is why marijuana enthusiasts mark the holiday.

The name '420' relates to the date itself, the fourth month on the 20th day. On this day, weed enthusiasts around the world celebrate their love for the plant by lighting up and participating in various marijuana-themed activities. While the exact origins of the term remain somewhat mysterious, it has become synonymous with cannabis culture.

On Dec. 28, 1990, a group of Deadheads in Oakland handed out flyers that invited people to smoke “420” on April 20 at 4:20 p.m. One ended up...

We explain why marijuana smokers honor their favorite herb on April 20th. 420 is now 365. The April 20th weed-smoking holiday assigned a calendar date to celebrate what some consumers already did every other day of...

Many believe the origins of the 420 holiday began in 1970s California. April 20, or 4/20, is known as “Weed Day” in some circles because the date corresponds with a numerical code for marijuana.

People slowly forgot the San Rafael High School boys, and they eventually dropped the idea of the 420 code. It is said that during the 1990s, a...