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Hey dudes and dudettes. As they say in stoner movies: It’s 4:20 somewhere — a.k.a. the unofficial official time of day to spark a blunt, hit the bong, toke up, vape, and please insert some more expressions synonymous with smoking pot here.
According to The Huffington Post, the roots of that particular time — and, of course, the corresponding holiday, 4/20 — can be traced back to a group of five friends who called themselves the Waldos at San Rafael High School in California. In the fall of 1971, they heard that a member of the Coast Guard had a marijuana crop ready to be harvested, and he could no longer tend to it. Ever the opportunists, the Waldos agreed to meet up after school at 4:20 p.m. to begin their trek into the forest to pick the bud.
They never did find the Coast Guard serviceman’s crop, but they continued to meet to smoke in one of their cars at 4:20 p.m. on the reg. All they had to say to get the plan in motion was, obviously, “420.” The Waldos had familial connections to The Grateful Dead — one of their brothers was friends with Phil Lesh and frequently smoked with him, so that’s probably how the term “420” caught on in Haight-Ashbury circles, and then spread from there.
Eventually, High Times got word of 420, and in the ‘90s, it purchased 420.com. The magazine takes credit for spreading the concept of 420, but really, who’s to say exactly how something like this spreads throughout the world? All we can agree on is the fact that A. 4:20 p.m. is the most appropriate time of day to smoke some weed, and B. every April 20, stoners everywhere get really baked in honor of their favorite herb.
Whether or not you observe 4:20 and/or 4/20, you can still enjoy some of the best stoner flicks of all time. Remember to stock up on munchies before you press play. We know; we don’t have to remind you. This isn’t amateur hour.
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