You can ask almost anyone today, cannabis user or not, “what number represents marijuana” and they will tell you: 420. But even some of the most experienced tokers, can’t tell you where “420” first originated from. Every year on April 20th, millions of people all around the world light up to celebrate the plant. Some at home, some socially with friends and some even at elaborate festivals, but not many can tell you why 4/20 specifically.
It goes back to 1971, when a group of San Rafael High School friends heard about an abandoned cannabis plant in the Point Reyes, California Forest. A treasure map leading to the location of the plant, allegedly made by the plant’s original owner, enticed the group of young men known as The Waldos to scour the forest every chance they got.
The Waldos would meet after class at 4:20pm at the Louis Pasteur statue outside of their high school, pack into one of their cars and smoke some pot before heading out on the treasure hunt. One of the identified Waldos, Steve Capper, told the Huffington Post, “We would remind each other in the hallways we were supposed to meet up at 4:20. It originally started out 4:20-Louis, and we eventually dropped the Louis.”
Cannabis was still illegal in California in the 70’s (and still is for underage persons today), so “420” became the code the Waldos would use to discreetly communicate their plans. They never did find the elusive crop, but you may still be wondering: how did a code word among a group of pot-smoking high school friends become a globally renowned term?
The answer involves music, specifically the Grateful Dead. The Waldos had several connections to the band that ultimately led to communal smoke sessions. One of the Waldos member’s father managed the Grateful Dead’s real estate and one of the member’s older brother was friends with the bassist of the band, Phil Lesh and managed a Dead sideband as well. Hanging out around backstage, they would use phrases like, “Hey, 420” while passing a joint to each other.
Three Waldos—(from left) Mark Gravitch, Dave Reddix and Steve Capper with their original 420 flag and friend Patty Young. (Credit: Carly Schwartz)
The term then spread around that community until 1990 when “High Times” reporter Steve Bloom attended a Grateful Dead concert in Oakland, California and came across the phrase. He was handed a flyer by a Grateful Dead fan known as a “Deadhead” that read, “We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais.” The flyer told of the Waldos of San Rafael and the history behind “420”.
Intrigued by the story, High Times magazine published it and started the global launch of the now-famous “420” phrase. Since then, the unofficial holiday has gained major popularity in the cannabis community, despite attempts by universities and governing systems to suppress the celebrations. Some of the Waldos members ask to remain anonymous to this day but have talked of possibly creating a “420” documentary or dictionary to solidify its history.