When is 420 Day?

What is 420 Day?

April 20th (4/20) is a very laidback, informal holiday in honor of cannabis. It is celebrated all over the U.S. by fans of the Grateful Dead and counterculture in general. Legend has it that the term "420" referred to a local police code that meant "marijuana smoking in progress." In fact, the story is more prosaic. A group of 5 high school friends in San Rafael in 1971 used to meet after school each day at 4:20 to smoke a joint or two. They would then venture out into the Point Reyes forest in search of a supposedly abandoned weed patch (they never found it). The term 420 became a kind of shorthand for getting together to share some Mary Jane.

The Waldos did cross paths with the Grateful Dead and their entourage on at least one occasion, and the band started using the term, launching it into the public consciousness. Today, music festivals and other events are held in honor of 420 Day each year. Some fans of the day also participate in political activism to legalize marijuana use across the United States. In areas where cannabis use is already legal, festivities surrounding April 20th are expected to grow exponentially.