Why is April 20 the unofficial marijuana holiday in US? How 4/20 became a day to remember

4/20, or 420, refers to April 20, the unofficial marijuana holiday for consumers in the United States.

Published on: Apr 20, 2025, 11:37:28 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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4/20, or 420, refers to April 20, the unofficial marijuana holiday for consumers in the US. Marijuana, both medical and recreational, is legal throughout more than half of the United States.

This year, 4/20 and Easter Sunday align. While the two events are not related, some worshippers and consumers will possibly enjoy partaking in both.

Why is April 20 the unofficial marijuana holiday?

The “weed holiday” helps the marijuana industry push extra deals on this day. While the story behind how 4/20 became the unofficial marijuana holiday is unclear, a few popular theories keep surfacing.

Some say the holiday represents "420," a radio code that cops have used to indicate marijuana. Some even tie the "holiday" to Bob Dylan's song ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,’ with its refrain, "Everybody must get stoned,” according to PBS. The product of multiplying 12 by 35 is 420.

However, the most likely story centres around a group of California high school friends in the 1970s. A brother of one of the friends grew marijuana in the woods near the school. However, he was afraid of being caught. He drew up a map of where to find the pot, and went on to hand it to the group of pals to harvest.

During the 1971 fall semester, at exactly 4:20 pm one day, the friends smoked a joint and went to the woods to look for fresh stash. They were never able to find it, but their code "420" caught on as the group roamed around the Grateful Dead for quite some time.

Meanwhile, despite a popular belief, the day has nothing to do with Bob Marley, USA Today reported. Marley was not born on April 20, but instead on February 6, 1945. He did not die on 4/20 either, but rather on May 11, 1981, aged 36.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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