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Added the story of the moment of creation of the term 420, who, when and where it occurred.
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Hager wrote "Stoner Smart or Stoner Stupid?" in which he called for 4:20&nbsp;p.m. to be the socially accepted hour of the day to consume cannabis.<ref name=dead>{{cite web|url=http://hightimes.com/entertainment/ht_admin/834|work=High Times|title=Stoner Smart, or Stoner Stupid?|year=2008|accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> He attributes the early spread of the phrase to [[Deadhead|Grateful Dead followers]], who were also linked to the city of San Rafael.<ref name=dead />
Hager wrote "Stoner Smart or Stoner Stupid?" in which he called for 4:20&nbsp;p.m. to be the socially accepted hour of the day to consume cannabis.<ref name=dead>{{cite web|url=http://hightimes.com/entertainment/ht_admin/834|work=High Times|title=Stoner Smart, or Stoner Stupid?|year=2008|accessdate=2012-04-20}}</ref> He attributes the early spread of the phrase to [[Deadhead|Grateful Dead followers]], who were also linked to the city of San Rafael.<ref name=dead />

Until recently, the long-standing story of how 420 originated went unchallenged.

Bradley Bann (aka Beeb Marcos) has been referred to as the “Thomas Edison of 420”, inventing the San Rafael birthed term in 1970, pre-dating the Waldos claim by one year.

Bann, as a teenager was known as a fearless prankster, master prank phone caller, and creator of nicknames and terms used around his neighborhood and high school- he actually named the Waldos. He referred to hippies of the day as Bonfiglios, also Gomes (after Gomer Pyle), and Cool Boy Johnnys (Parking lot crew).

The invention of the term 420 occurred in October, 1970 at the home of Dan (Puff) and Dave (Du) Dixon on a Saturday afternoon at precisely 4:20 in the afternoon. Beeb looked at the clock in the boys bedroom and said, “It’s 4:20, time for bong loads”. From there, Bann began to expand on the number by reciting a fake beginning of the Gettysburg address, “Four score and twenty years ago”, then, with a bullhorn sound effect, “Attention, this is Sergeant Ryker, we have 420 situation in progress”. 420 caught on because of Brad, the Dixon brothers. According to Guy Perry (Bone Boy) in a 2012 letter published as part of an article in [http://www.420magazine.com/forums/420-magazine-articles/176850-true-origin-420-setting-record-straight.html 420 Magazine] written by [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob420griffin Rob Griffin], “420 sounded “Stoner Poetic” to everyone in their neighborhood.

One of the truly great viral exposures came when 420 spread through the Grateful Dead community, going on tours with their legions of fans, thanks in large part to the Waldos promotional efforts, as they were all huge fans of the band that had their offices and recording studio in San Rafael.

Though both High Times and Huffington Post have published articles crediting the Waldos with the creation of 420, it is interesting that no one from the ‘70s era in San Rafael was interviewed to corroborate the Waldo story- so it went unchallenged.

Bann has been interviewed by radio stations in Sacramento at KXRQ by [[Pat Martin (broadcaster)|Pat Martin]], by [http://www.995themountain.com/hosts/mike-casey Mike Casey] at The Mountain in Denver, and mentioned or interviewed in several online publications, including [https://www.zamnesia.com/blog-the-origin-of-420-the-bebes-the-waldos-n572 Zamnesia], staking his claim that he is in fact, “The Thomas Edison of 420”.


== April 20 observances ==
== April 20 observances ==
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== References ==
== References ==
[[File:Brad Bann- "The Thomas Edison of 420".jpg|thumb|Brad Bann (aka Beeb Marcos) invented the now iconic 420 in October of 1970. Dan and Dave Dixon were witness to its inception.]]
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|420 Magazine- The True Origin of 420- Setting the Record Straight.}}


== External links ==
== External links ==

Revision as of 00:36, 10 May 2016

420
Statue of Louis Pasteur at San Rafael High School, said to be the site of the original 4:20 gatherings.
Observed byCannabis counterculture, legal reformers, entheogenic spiritualists
TypeSecular
ObservancesCannabis consumption
DateApril 20
Next time20 April 2025 (2025-04-20)
Frequencyannual
Part of a series on
Cannabis
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420, 4:20, or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is a code-term that refers to the consumption of cannabis, especially smoking cannabis around the time 4:20 p.m. and smoking and celebrating cannabis on the date April 20 (4/20 in U.S. form).[1]

Origins

A group of people in San Rafael, California,[2][3] calling themselves the Waldos[4] because "their chosen hang-out spot was a wall outside the school",[5] used the term in connection with a fall 1971 plan to search for an abandoned cannabis crop that they had learned about,[4][6] based on a treasure map made by the grower.[7] The Waldos designated the Louis Pasteur statue on the grounds of San Rafael High School as their meeting place, and 4:20 p.m. as their meeting time.[5] The Waldos referred to this plan with the phrase "4:20 Louis". Several failed attempts to find the crop eventually shortened their phrase to simply "4:20", which ultimately evolved into a codeword that the teens used to mean marijuana-smoking in general.[6] Mike Edison says that Steven Hager of High Times was responsible for taking the story about the Waldos to "mind-boggling, cult-like extremes" and "suppressing" all other stories about the origin of the term.[8]

Hager wrote "Stoner Smart or Stoner Stupid?" in which he called for 4:20 p.m. to be the socially accepted hour of the day to consume cannabis.[9] He attributes the early spread of the phrase to Grateful Dead followers, who were also linked to the city of San Rafael.[9]

Until recently, the long-standing story of how 420 originated went unchallenged.

Bradley Bann (aka Beeb Marcos) has been referred to as the “Thomas Edison of 420”, inventing the San Rafael birthed term in 1970, pre-dating the Waldos claim by one year.

Bann, as a teenager was known as a fearless prankster, master prank phone caller, and creator of nicknames and terms used around his neighborhood and high school- he actually named the Waldos. He referred to hippies of the day as Bonfiglios, also Gomes (after Gomer Pyle), and Cool Boy Johnnys (Parking lot crew).

The invention of the term 420 occurred in October, 1970 at the home of Dan (Puff) and Dave (Du) Dixon on a Saturday afternoon at precisely 4:20 in the afternoon. Beeb looked at the clock in the boys bedroom and said, “It’s 4:20, time for bong loads”. From there, Bann began to expand on the number by reciting a fake beginning of the Gettysburg address, “Four score and twenty years ago”, then, with a bullhorn sound effect, “Attention, this is Sergeant Ryker, we have 420 situation in progress”. 420 caught on because of Brad, the Dixon brothers. According to Guy Perry (Bone Boy) in a 2012 letter published as part of an article in 420 Magazine written by Rob Griffin, “420 sounded “Stoner Poetic” to everyone in their neighborhood.

One of the truly great viral exposures came when 420 spread through the Grateful Dead community, going on tours with their legions of fans, thanks in large part to the Waldos promotional efforts, as they were all huge fans of the band that had their offices and recording studio in San Rafael.

Though both High Times and Huffington Post have published articles crediting the Waldos with the creation of 420, it is interesting that no one from the ‘70s era in San Rafael was interviewed to corroborate the Waldo story- so it went unchallenged.

Bann has been interviewed by radio stations in Sacramento at KXRQ by Pat Martin, by Mike Casey at The Mountain in Denver, and mentioned or interviewed in several online publications, including Zamnesia, staking his claim that he is in fact, “The Thomas Edison of 420”.

April 20 observances

April 20 has become a counterculture holiday in North America, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.[1][10][11] Some events have a political nature to them, advocating for the legalization of cannabis. North American observances have been held at Hippie Hill in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park near the Haight-Ashbury district,[12] the University of Colorado's Boulder campus,[3][13][14] Ottawa, Ontario, at Parliament Hill and Major's Hill Park,[15][16] Montreal, Quebec, at Mount Royal monument,[17][18] Edmonton, Alberta, at the Alberta Legislature Building,[19] and Vancouver, British Columbia, formerly at the Vancouver Art Gallery,[20] but as of 2016 at Sunset Beach.[21] The growing size of the unofficial event at UC Santa Cruz caused the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs to send an e-mail to parents in 2009 stating: "The growth in scale of this activity has become a concern for both the university and surrounding community."[22]

Events have also occurred in London, United Kingdom, in Hyde Park;[23]and Dunedin, New Zealand, at the University of Otago.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Impact

Signs bearing the number "420" have been frequently stolen. In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on I-70 east of Denver with one reading 419.99 in an attempt to stop the thievery.[30] The Idaho Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on U.S. Highway 95, just south of Coeur d'Alene, with Mile Marker 419.9.[31] In Goodhue County, Minnesota, officials have changed "420 St" street signs to "42x St".[32]

See also

References

Brad Bann (aka Beeb Marcos) invented the now iconic 420 in October of 1970. Dan and Dave Dixon were witness to its inception.
  1. ^ a b King, Matt (April 24, 2007). "Thousands at UCSC burn one to mark cannabis holiday". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Archived from the original on April 26, 2007.
  2. ^ "Stoner Chic Traces Origin To San Rafael – Snickering high schoolers brought `420' into lexicon". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  3. ^ a b McKinley, Jesse (April 19, 2009). "Marijuana Advocates Point to Signs of Change". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved January 23, 2011. Mr. Hager said the significance of April 20 dates to a ritual begun in the early 1970s in which a group of Northern California teenagers smoked cannabis every day at 4:20 p.m. Word of the ritual spread and expanded to a yearly event in various places. Soon, cannabis aficionados were using "420" as a code for smoking and using it as a sign-off on flyers for concerts where the drug would be plentiful. In recent years, the April 20 events have become so widespread that several colleges have discouraged students from participating. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b High Times (21 March 2012). The Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook: More Than 50 Irresistible Recipes That Will Get You High. Chronicle Books. pp. 97–. ISBN 978-1-4521-0133-0. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b Grim, Ryan (April 20, 2009). "What 420 Means: The True Story Behind Stoners' Favorite Number". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Grim, Ryan (April 20, 2010). "420 Meaning: The True Story Of How April 20 Became 'Weed Day'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  7. ^ Alyssa Pereira (April 20, 2016). "Local originators of term 420 solve 45-year-old mystery". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ^ Edison, Mike (2009-05-12). I Have Fun Everywhere I Go: Savage Tales of Pot, Porn, Punk Rock, Pro Wrestling, Talking Apes, Evil Bosses, Dirty Blues, American Heroes, and the Most Notorious Magazines in the World. Faber & Faber. pp. 207–. ISBN 978-0-86547-903-6. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  9. ^ a b "Stoner Smart, or Stoner Stupid?". High Times. 2008. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
  10. ^ Halnon, Karen Bettez (11 April 2005). "The power of 420".
  11. ^ "420 event lists".
  12. ^ "A Huge Turn Out for 420 Day on Hippie Hill in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park " San Francisco Citizen". Sfcitizen.com. 2010-04-20. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ CU's 4/20 pot smoke-out draws crowd of 10,000 : CU News.
  14. ^ "Medical marijuana expected to give momentum to CU-Boulder 4/20 event – Boulder Daily Camera". Dailycamera.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Pot activists to light up on Hill". Cnews.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  16. ^ "Ottawa's Parliament Hill just one site for planned 4/20 protest". Digitaljournal.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ "420 Day- Cannabis Festival". samesun.com Samesun Nation Travel Blog. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  18. ^ "Canada's marijuana activists unite against American-style drug laws – 420 vote mobs to be held in over 10 cities across Canada on April 20th". newswire.ca CNW Group. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  19. ^ "Hundreds of Tokers Flood Alberta Legislature in Protest to Push for Legalization of Marijuana". Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  20. ^ Hall, Neal (May 2, 2009). "Thousands of marijuana smokers gather in Vancouver to celebrate "420"". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
  21. ^ Johnson, Lisa (20 April 2016). "4/20 pot rally draws tens of thousands in Vancouver". CBC News. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  22. ^ Bookwalter, Genevieve (7 April 2009). "Mom and Dad now know about '4/20'". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Archived from the original on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  23. ^ Gayle, Damien (2016-04-21). "Police make 20 arrests at cannabis picnic in London's Hyde Park". the Guardian. Retrieved 2016-05-05.
  24. ^ Porteous, Debbie (June 12, 2008). "Police swoop on cannabis protest". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  25. ^ "420 Protest". Channel 9 News Dunedin. February 22, 2008. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Porteous, Debbie (July 11, 2008). "Campus arrests follow marijuana complaints (+ video)". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  27. ^ Rudd, Allison (September 26, 2008). "Moore's appeal rejected". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  28. ^ Rudd, Allison (July 22, 2008). "Lack of quorum foils cannabis vote". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  29. ^ Rudd, Allison (September 20, 2008). "OUSA general meeting promises controversy". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
  30. ^ "State alters 420 MM sign to thwart thieves". KUSA-TV. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  31. ^ "Idaho replaces mile marker 420 with 419.9 to thwart stoners". KTVB. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  32. ^ "County finds fix for missing 420 signs". Post-Bulletin. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
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