What does 420 mean?
420 is an informal term for cannabis, and also refers to 20 April, written 4/20 in the American date format. The origin is well documented, though several persistent explanations turn out to be untrue.
The origin
The term appeared in the early 1970s at a high school in San Rafael, California. A group of students calling themselves the Waldos had heard about an abandoned cannabis plot nearby, and agreed to meet at 4:20pm after school to look for it.
They never found the plot, but “420” stuck as a code word within the group. Through connections to the music scene around the Grateful Dead, the term spread: first within that circle, later worldwide.
Stories that are not true
- A police code. It is often claimed that 420 was an American police radio code for cannabis possession. No such code exists.
- The number of compounds in cannabis. The plant contains hundreds of compounds, but not 420, and the number has nothing to do with the term.
- A reference to a song. Also invented after the fact.
20 April
Because 4/20 reads as 20 April in the American format, the date grew into an informal annual occasion. Gatherings are held in various countries, often with an activist character focused on legislation.
In the Netherlands the date has no special legal status. The rules for coffeeshops and cannabis apply on 20 April exactly as on any other day.
Sources
This article is general information and not advice. Cannabis use is not without risk. For independent information and help, contact the Trimbos Institute, Drugsinfo or your doctor.