The number 420 is a euphemism for cannabis and its associated culture. The exact origin of the term is unknown, although there is much speculation and many urban legends about its origin. Smoking marijuana at 4:20 or on April 20 has special meaning to some. A euphemism is an expression intended by the speaker to be less offensive, disturbing, or troubling to the listener than the word or phrase it replaces. ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannibis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has news related to this article: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin... Urban legends are a kind of folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them (see rumor). ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ...

Origin theories

Snopes.com, High Times Magazine, and The Straight Dope claim that in the early 1970s, a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California used to meet every day to smoke marijuana after school at 4:20 PM at the water tower atop San Rafael Hill. The local story has these students doing radio skits with a pirate radio transmitter from the hill. One of these alleged skits was of kids getting caught smoking by the local police. They imitated the police radio call voice saying, "We have a 4:20 in progress on San Rafael Hill." The San Rafael police have asserted that there is "... no such code." These actual students, however, have never been identified individually. The time became a code word for the drug, and usage spread. 4:20 PM has since become a popular time to "smoke up". (It's also worth noting that 4:20 PM is the time of LSD creator Albert Hofmann's first deliberate ingestion of the substance, in 1943 on what was later dubbed Bicycle Day; perhaps this is where the San Rafael teenagers picked up the idea.) The Urban Legends Reference Pages (also known as snopes. ... High Times is a United States based magazine. ... Cecil Adams is the pen name of the author of The Straight Dope since 1973, a popular question and answer column published in The Chicago Reader, syndicated in thirty newspapers in the United States and Canada, and available online. ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... San Rafael is the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. ... San Rafael (pronounced san ruh-FELL in English; original Spanish pronunciation is sahn rah-fah-EL) is the County seat of Marin County, California, United States. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Official language(s) English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannabis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... A Code word may refer any of several concepts: For telecommunications senses, see Code word (telecommunication). ... D-lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called acid, LSD, or LSD-25, is a powerful semisynthetic psychedelic drug. ... Dr. Albert Hofmann Dr. Albert Hofmann (born January 11, 1906) is a prominent Swiss scientist and best known as the father of LSD. He was born in Baden, Switzerland, and studied chemistry at the University of Zurich. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Bicycle Day is April 19, commemorating April 19, 1943, when Dr. Albert Hofmann first took his invention LSD intentionally. ...

Another possible origin of the term can be found in the works of H. P. Lovecraft. A short story of his, entitled "In the Walls of Eryx" and first published in Weird Tales [34, No. 4 (October 1939), pp 50-68], contains this passage: H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of fantasy and horror fiction, noted for giving horror stories a science fiction framework. ... A short story by the pulp-fiction author Howard Phillips Lovecraft (H. P. Lovecraft) first published in Weird Tales magazine in October, 1939. ... This page is about the fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine and its heirs. ...

I had encountered at least one of those curious mirage-plants about which so many of our men told stories. Anderson had warned me of them, and described their appearance very closely—the shaggy stalk, the spiky leaves, and the mottled blossoms whose gaseous dream-breeding exhalations penetrate every existing make of mask...Although everything was spinning perilously, I tried to start in the right direction and hack my way ahead. My route must have been far from straight, for it seemed hours before I was free of the mirage-plant's pervasive influence. Gradually the dancing lights began to disappear, and the shimmering spectral scenery began to assume the aspect of solidity. When I did get wholly clear I looked at my watch and was astonished to find that the time was only 4:20. Though eternities had seemed to pass, the whole experience could have consumed little more than a half-hour.

One piece of evidence supporting an origin of the term from the time 4:20 is the fact that the number is always said "four twenty" and not "four hundred and twenty".

In 1955, Raj Kapoor directed a film entitled Shree 420 (Mr. 420), a reference to someone who has a reputation for theft and deception, since apprehensions for such crimes are usually section 420 of the Indian Penal Code. 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (December 14, 1924 - June 3, 1988) was a legendary actor, director, and producer of Bollywood(Indian) movies. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ... Shri 420 (Mr. ...

Other theories include the following:

• Urban legend claims, incorrectly, that 420 is or was a police code for a drug bust or for "marijuana smoking in progress", or that 4:20 is or was the shift change for the police.
• It was, at one time, believed that there were 420 chemicals in marijuana.
• Many mistake April 20 as being the day Bob Marley, a famous rastafarian musician, died. The actual date he died is May 11.
• April 20 is the last day on which one is supposed to plant cannabis seeds.
• The Beatles song "Come Together" and "Smokin'" by Boston are 4:20 in length.
• "D" and "T" are the 4th and 20th letters of the alphabet, respectively, and thus "DT" stands for "doobie time" ("doobie" being a slang term for a marijuana cigarette).
• At 4:20 on a hand clock, the hands line up in a downward angle giving the appearance that the face of the clock has a smoking instrument in its "mouth".
• The psychoactive chemical in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). "tetra" is Greek for 4, "hydro" for water (aka H₂O); condensed together somewhat makes 420.

April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... Bob Marley The Hon. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... The Beatles were a British pop and rock group from Liverpool. ... Come Together is a song by the rock band The Beatles. ... Alternative meanings: Boston (disambiguation) The 18th-century Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... A rolling machine (A); Cannabis spliff (B); broken up cannabis (C); a booklet of rolling papers (D) Spliff is slang for an individually rolled cigarette made with cannabis, sometimes mixed with tobacco. ...

Occurrences

• The number 420 is common in classified ads describing housing or individuals which permit or encourage marijuana use ("420 OK"). This practice is common in socially progressive communities such as Craigslist. One such "Housing to share" listing, from the Santa Cruz Sentinel in 1994, read:

Rm avail Veggie household. 420. No pets M pref

• In the movie Pulp Fiction, the clocks in the pawnshop are set to 4:20. (It is often erroneously claimed that all clocks in the film are.)
• The radio show "4:20 Drug War News", a short talk segment which promotes legalization of certain drugs, and is usually aired at 4:20
• In an episode of the show Futurama called "The Farnsworth Parabox", an alternate universe where everyone is a hippie is numbered as Universe 420.
• The Lovecraft theory for the origin of 4:20 was first postulated on the official web-site for the rock band Tool.
• The California law that authorizes and regulates medical uses of marijuana was Senate Bill 420 (Chapter 875/2003, John Vasconcellos).
• The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which would have prevented the U.S. Federal Govenment from using federal funds to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, was voted on in Roll call 420. It did not pass.
• The Bob Dylan song "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" is informally known as "Everybody must get stoned" since the chorus repeats that line. 12×35=420.
• The second line of the first verse in the children's nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence' goes "Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie". ('Baked' is a common euphemism for being under the influence of cannabis.)
• The Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young) song "4+20" on their 1970 Déjà Vu album has the numbers in the title and begins, "Four and twenty years ago ..."
• In WWE, the team of Rob Van Dam and Rey Mysterio used a double leg drop termed the 420, ostensibly because of the number of legs involved (4) and the combined shoe size (Van Dam's size 12 + Mysterio's size 8 = 20).
• Grunge rock band Nirvana's b-side "Even in His Youth" (on the single "Smells Like Teen Spirit") is credited to be 4 minutes 20 seconds long on the single's cover. The song is really 3:06 in length.
• A popular sailing dinghy is called the 420 (being 420 cm long) and is most commonly raced by adolescent and collegiate sailors.
• A cannabis coffeeshop located at Oude Brugsteeg 27 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands is named the "420 cafe"
• The high school shooting at Columbine occurred on April 20th. However, this is often connected with the birthdate of Adolf Hitler, which was also on April 20th.
• The Phoenix, Arizona radio station Edge 103.9 plays a Bob Marley track every day at 4:20, both AM and PM.
• The San Diego, California radio station 91X 91.1 plays a Bob Marley track every day at 4:20, both AM and PM, the slot is named 'Mandatory Marley'.
• The now-defunct Los Angeles, California radio station Arrow 93.1 used to play an authentic vinyl record every day at 4:20. This segment was called the Vinyl Vault.
• In the 1936 anti-pot/exploitation classic Reefer Madness, there is a brief subliminal flash showing 4:20 with a marijuana leaf in the background.
• The death metal band Six Feet Under recorded a song called 420 about the topic for their 1997 album Warpath.

Screenshot of craigslist. ... The Santa Cruz Sentinel is an American local newspaper in Santa Cruz, California county. ... Pulp Fiction is a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino and written by Tarantino and Roger Avary. ... Futurama is an animated American cartoon series created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen (also a writer for The Simpsons). ... Flower-Power Bus Hippie (also hippy) is a term originally used to describe some of the rebellious youth of the 1960s and 1970s. ... From left to right: Maynard James Keenan, Adam Jones, Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor Tool is an American rock band. ... John Vasconcellos is a California politician. ... Cannabis sativa extract. ... Portrait photograph by Daniel Kramer Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman 24 May 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and poet. ... Lyrics Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye. ... Crosby, Stills, & Nash (at times known as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young) is a pioneering folk rock/rock supergroup that formed out of the remnants of three 1960s bands: Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, and the Hollies. ... Déjà Vu is the second album by a rock and roll band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, released on March 11, 1970 (see 1970 in music). ... World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. ... Robert Szatkowski, better known by his stage name Rob Van Dam (born December 18, 1970 in Battle Creek, Michigan), is an American professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand. ... Óscar Gutiérrez Rubio, better known as Rey Misterio, Jr. ... Double-team maneuvers in professional wrestling are when two wrestlers work together to attack an opponent, these moves are mainly used by tag teams in tag matches. ... Nirvana was a popular American grunge rock band founded in 1987 in Aberdeen, Washington. ... Even in His Youth is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana and two different versions have been released. ... Smells Like Teen Spirit is a song by the American rock band, Nirvana. ... The International 420 Class Dinghy is a monohull planing dinghy with centreboard, bermuda rig and centre sheeting, designed for a crew of two. ... Species Cannabis indica Cannabis ruderalis Cannabis sativa Cannibis is a genus of flowering plant that includes one or more species. ... A Street Cafe, Jerusalem, Henry Fenn (1838- ): steel engraving in Picturesque Palestine, ca 1875 A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. ... Amsterdam Location Country The Netherlands Province North Holland Population 739,295 (1 January 2005) Coordinates 4°54′ E 52°22′ N Website www. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Staff and Students evacuate Columbine High School shortly after the shooting The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado, near Denver and Littleton, Colorado, in the United States. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Phoenix was incorporated as a city on February 5, 1881. ... A radio station is a sound broadcasting service. ... Bob Marley The Hon. ... City nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Government County San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders takes oath of office 12/05/05 Physical characteristics Area      Land      Water 372. ... A radio station is a sound broadcasting service. ... Bob Marley The Hon. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish; Los Ángeles, ) also known simply as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ... A radio station is a sound broadcasting service. ... Reefer Madness is the rerelease title of a 1936 film about cannabis as well as two books, a 2004 off-Broadway musical satirizing the original film (itself made into a television movie in 2005), a song by Hawkwind, and a one-off strip in the comic anthology 2000 AD. // 1936... Death metal is a type of heavy metal music (with prominent thrash metal influences) that emerged in the United States (especially Florida and California), Europe (especially the United Kingdom and Sweden) and Canada in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... 2006 WILL SEE THE RELEASE OF A NEW SIX FEET UNDER ALBUM TITLED GRAVEYARD ROMANCE Six Feet Under (often abbreviated as SFU) was formed initially as a side project of lead singer Chris Barnes (then of Cannibal Corpse). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.htm
• http://www.phish.net/faq/420.html
• Origin of Lovecraft 4:20 myth
• California SB 420
• A list of historical and contemporary users of cannabis