Was bedeutet 420?

The term 420, also identified as four twenty, 4:20, or 4/20, is well-known among smokers, especially among those familiar with cannabis. 

Do you want to know what 420 means? What 4 20 actually is? Where does this concept come from? We explain everything here.

For a stoner, what is 420?

On a linguistic level, we can explain what 420 means by identifying it as a cannabis slang word referring to everything related to the plant and its consumption.

Officially, “four-twenty” refers to the 20th of April (20th of the 4th), the chosen day to celebrate the cultivation and consumption of marijuana. More specifically, the celebration climaxes at 4:20 pm.

“Four twenty” origin

There are many versions regarding the origin of the four twenty. The one that is considered the validest goes back to San Rafael High School, located in Marin County, California (United States). 

In 1971, the term 420 was used to indicate the time at which they would gather to smoke under the statue of Louis Pasteur, a French chemist, physicist, mathematician, and bacteriologist. 

The choice of time was premeditated, as it was the moment when students had finished their school activities, so they had free time to meet at that location. 

Versions of the origin of the term 420 have been more numerous and some of them quite curious. 

For example, it was thought to be related to the penal code 420 in the state of California. Or with the police radio telephone code 420. It was even linked to Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35”.

However, all these theories have been disproved. There is another that even suggests the possibility that five students found a hand-drawn map indicating the location of a marijuana grow in Point Reyes, northwest of San Francisco.

All this brings us to the present day when 420 is the numerical symbol of cannabis and the culture related to its cultivation and growth.

This is why 420 products are those related to these activities and, among them, you can find trays for rolling cigarettes to ashtrays, the famous grinders for shredding weed to the maximum, and, in general, any other accessory that you can use for smoking.

In addition, these products are associated with designs related to the cannabis culture, with a very urban, casual, and youthful style. A whole alternative philosophy that is reflected in any of these accessories and that is part of the daily life of most smokers and those who are attracted by this genuine style.