Why is 4/20 celebrated? Origin story behind popular weed holiday may surprise you.
Saturday, April 20, is 4/20 — an informal holiday for marijuana users. Even if you don't partake in cannabis-related activities, you might be wondering...
Why is 4/20 associated with weed?
There are many theories about why "4/20" is associated with marijuana, some with more validity than others. Perhaps the most plausible origin story comes from five teenagers in a California high school.
One rumor, which has been proven false, is that "420” is code among police officers for “marijuana smoking in progress." Another points to a vague reference in a 1966 Bob Dylan song.
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Popular lore ties the birth of "4/20" to a group of high schoolers attending Northern California's San Rafael High School in the early 1970s. The five teens – Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz and Mark Gravich – became known as the “Waldos” because they met by a wall.
The students met at 4:20 p.m. by the statue of chemist Louis Pasteur to smoke weed, presumably because most extracurricular activities had ended by that time.
“We weren’t stupid stoners,” Capper, 68, an original Waldo said, pointing to a certificate for exceptional achievement and citizenship he received in school. The Waldos engaged in after-school activities like sports and studying, so 4:20 was chosen as the time the group could all meet up. The rest is history.
“We got tired of the Friday-night football scene with all of the jocks," Reddix told TIME Magazine in 2017. "We were the guys sitting under the stands smoking a doobie, wondering what we were doing there."
Reddix would later work with Phil Lesh, the bass guitarist for the rock band "The Grateful Dead." According to TIME Magazine, the band popularized the term. On Dec. 28, 1990, a group of the band's fans, known as "Deadheads," passed out flyers in north California encouraging people to smoke on April 20 at 4:20 p.m. One of the flyers was published in cannabis-culture magazine High Times.
Can marijuana be used recreationally in Texas?
In Texas and federal law, recreational use of marijuana is still illegal. Depending on how much a person is in possession of, the consequences vary.
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The Texas Health and Safety Code states that possession of marijuana two ounces or less is considered a Class B misdemeanor.
Will marijuana be legal in Texas in 2024?
For now, it’s unlikely. However, recent laws have taken place to decriminalize marijuana laws in the state.
In 2019, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1325 into law. The law allows the production, manufacture, retail sale, and inspection of industrial hemp crops and products in Texas granted that they stay at 0.3% or less delta-9 THC level. This also includes products for consumable hemp products that contain cannabidiol (CBD), as well as other edible parts of the hemp plant.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What is 4/20 and why is it associated with marijuana? What to know
