What’s 420?
A secret code turned global symbol. Born as an after-school meet-up time, it’s now the universal sign for getting high—and the reason April 20 became cannabis culture’s unofficial birthday.
The Waldos’ Code (1971)
In 1971, five San Rafael High School students—Steve, Dave, Jeff, Mark, and Larry—heard rumors of an abandoned cannabis grow near Point Reyes. They met at 4:20 p.m. by a campus statue to hunt it down, using the phrase “420 Louis” as their private shorthand. The crop was never found, but “420” stuck as their code for marijuana.
The Grateful Dead Takes It on Tour
Dave’s brother worked for Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. By the mid-1970s, Deadheads were whispering “420” backstage. As the band toured, so did the slang, spreading across America’s counterculture years before the age of social media.
High Times Blows It Up (1991)
A flyer at an Oakland Dead show invited fans to smoke “420 on 4/20.” High Times Magazine printed the flyer and mistakenly claimed it was “police radio code for marijuana.” Soon 4:20 p.m. became the official toke time, and April 20 evolved into a global cannabis holiday.
Debunked Myths
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California Penal Code 420 = blocking public land, not cannabis
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Police Code 420 = homicide in Las Vegas, not weed
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Bob Dylan’s “12 × 35 = 420” = fun math, but false
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Adolf Hitler’s birthday = pure coincidence
Proof the Waldos Did It
The group preserved letters, maps, and a yearbook page from 1971. In 1998, High Times Magazine finally credited them as the originators of 420.
From Protest to Party
By the 2000s, April 20 was celebrated worldwide—from Denver’s Civic Center to San Francisco’s Hippie Hill and London’s Hyde Park. The date became part holiday, part activism, and part mega dispensary sale day.
The Ultimate Wink
In 2003, California named its medical cannabis law Senate Bill 420—a nod to the stoner code.
Today
420 is more than a time or a date. It’s cannabis culture’s rallying cry.
Youtube Video
— Nugg Notes
sources:
sources: •Capper, Steve, et al. The Waldos: The True Story of 420. 420 Waldos, n.d., 420waldos.com. •Bloom, Steve. “420: Birth of a Stoner Notion.” CelebStoner, 12 Apr. 2013, celebstoner.com/news/marijuana. •“The Original Flier That Sparked the 420 Phenomenon.” Freedom Leaf, 2017, freedomleaf.com/420-original-f. •“High Times—May 1991: 420 Flyer Reprint.” High Times, May 1991, 420waldos.com/pdf/HighTimes-. •“4/20’s Founding Fathers Recall Long, Strange Trip to Pot Holiday.” CBS News Bay Area, 16 Apr. 2023, cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/n. •Waxman, Olivia B. “Here’s the Real Reason We Associate 420 with Weed.” Time, 20 Apr. 2016, time.com/4292844/420-ap. •Avila, John. “Myth-Busting 420: Its One True Origin (and a Whole Lot of False Ones).” LA Weekly, 20 Apr. 2012, laweekly.com/myth-busting-4. •California Penal Code § 420: Obstruction of Public Lands. FindLaw, n.d., codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/. •“SB 420 (Vasconcellos): Medical Marijuana Program—Chaptered Bill Text.” California Legislative Information, 12 Oct. 2003, leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavC. •Linsley, Brennan. “How 4/20 Grew from Humble Roots to Marijuana’s High Holiday.” Associated Press, 19 Apr. 2024, apnews.com/article/420-ma. •“Rainy Day Women Nos. 12 & 35.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, last updated 4 July 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainy_Day. •“420’s Origins: A Treasure Hunt, Secret Code & Dueling Legends.” Axios San Francisco, 17 Apr. 2025, axios.com/local/san-fran.
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