It's April 20 (4/20), and millions of Americans, like every year, are celebrating the Marijuana holiday. The National Day Calendar notes that 420 day was ‘once an unconventional day’ but has ‘become the rallying cry of those who seek to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational uses’. But why April 20?
Tracing 420's origin
April 20 is observed as a marijuana holiday every year (Unsplash)
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While there is no concrete reason for how 420 came into being, several theories have surfaced over the years. One of them traces 420 to Marin County, California, where, in 1971, five students at San Rafael High School would meet at 4:20 PM to partake. They chose the specific time because school activities had usually ended by then. The five students were identified as Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich. Their group is called the ‘Waldos’. They would use ‘420’ as a code for marijuana.
“We got tired of the Friday-night football scene with all of the jocks. We were the guys sitting under the stands smoking a doobie, wondering what we were doing there,” Reddix told TIME in 2017.
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“We got tired of the Friday-night football scene with all of the jocks. We were the guys sitting under the stands smoking a doobie, wondering what we were doing there,” Reddix told TIME in 2017.
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Reddix also worked for the band Grateful Dead, and the ‘420’ concept took off. He told TIME that a flyer distributed by a group of Oakland Deadheads in 1990 came across a reporter, who then popularized it in magazine editions.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
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Home/World News/Us News/Why is 420 associated with weed and where did it originate? Answering all your questions
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