420 Freedom Fest 2009 The Kottonmouth Kings on tour: 4/17 - Phoenix, Marquee Theatre; 4/18 - Las Vegas, House of Blues; 4/19 - San Diego, House of Blues; 4/20 - Anaheim, The Grove More Info
420 Weekend 2009 4/17-20 Holland Coffeeshop Tour More Info
2009 Nevada 420 Hemp Fest 4/15-20 NORML Ranch, Eureka County, NV More Info
Sweetwater 420 Fest Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Robert Walter's 20th Congress 4/18 - 12 noon-10 pm; 4/19 - 12:30-8 pm Historic Candler Park, 1500 McLendon Ave., NE Atlanta, GAMore Info
Hwy 420 Anti-Prohibition Rally 4/18 - 2 pm Niagra Falls, Ontario More Info
National Marijuana Forum + 4/20 Celebration Sponsored by NORML@CU, Colorado University - Boulder 4/18- 7 pm; 4/19 - 11 am - 9 pm Speakers (Allen St. Pierre, Steve Bloom, Mason Tvert), Panel Discussions, Screening of Kevin Booth's American Drug War 4/20 - 3-5 pm, Norlin Quad More Info
B420 Fest 4/18, 8 pm The Garage, 662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL More Info
4/19 Smoke-Out 12-6 pm Cheba Hut, 115 Harvard St., Albuquerque More Info
Family Guy 4/19 - 9 pm EST on Fox Brian is arrested on drug charges More Info
Listen to "Bag of Weed"
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HIGH: The True Tale of American Marijuana Watch John Holowach's doc free all day here
2009 Denver 4/20 Rally 4/20 - 10 am - 6 pm Greek Theater in Civic Center Park, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. More Info
NORML 4/20Freedom Forum Sponsored by Philly NORML & NJ NORML 4/20 - 2-5 pm, $40 Kirby Auditorium in the National Constitution Center, Independence Mall, 525 Arch St. Emceed by Georgine DiMaria, Miss New Jersey 2006 More Info
World Wide Marijuana March Sponsored by AZ4NORML 4/20 - 4 pm Meet at north end of Safeway parking lot @ Campbell & Broadway in Tuscon, AZ, march to Cheba Hut, 1820 E. 6 St. More Info
420 Celebration at UC Santa Cruz 4/20 - 4-6 pm Porter Meadow More Info
Asher Roth CD Release Party 4/20 - 4:15 pm, free The Note, 142 E. Market St., West Chester, PA More Info 10 pm - 2 am, invitation only Hotel on Rivington, 107 Rivington St., New York
Cypress Hill at the Filllmore 4/20 - 4:20 pm, $45 1805 Geary Blvd., San Francisco More Info
Cheba Hut's 11th Annual 4/20 Party 4/20 - The 10 Cheba Hut stores in Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are offering the $4.20 Special: a 4-inch Nug sub, a bag of chips and a drink, served on a 2009 collectible Cheba Hut frisbee More Info
420 Filmfest 4/20 - 6-9:45 pm, $8 Plaza Theatre, 1133 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, AB Top four winners will be announced and awarded prizes More Info
G420 Special 4/20 - 7 pm - midnight Pot-themed programming on cable channel G4 includes Attack of the Show, Half Baked and Super High Me, plus Top CelebStoner Doug Benson and co-host Alison Haislip go to Oaksterdam! More Info
High Times 420 Celebration + Miss High Times Pageant 4/20 - 7 pm, $20 Studio B, 259 Banker St., Brooklyn, NY More Info
4/20 Fest Soja, John Brown's Body 4/20 - 8 pm, $20 The Note, 142 E. Market St., West Chester, PA More Info
Comedy at The Creek Hosted by CelebStoner Blogger Rob Cantrell 4/20 - 8 pm 10-93 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, NY More Info
Cannabis Comedy Festival 4/20 - 8:30-10:30 pm, $10 (proceeds go to NORML) Hosted by Ngaio Belum & Top CelebStoner Ed Rosenthal Club Deluxe, 1511 Haight St, San Francisco More Info
The Real Story of 420
Blog by Steve Bloom
Stoner quiz: Which answer correctly explains the meaning of 420?
a) the number of chemicals in marijuana
b) a police code for "marijuana smoking in progress"
c) the number you get when you multiply 12 and 35 (see Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women")
d) number coined by San Rafael High School students for the afterschool time to get high
Back in 1990, I covered the Grateful Dead and Deadheads for High Times. At a New Year's week show in Oakland, I received a flyer that talked about 420 - both smoking at 4:20 and celebrating as a group on 4/20. High Times published that flyer in the May 1991 issue. The author of the flyer contended that 420 was a police code for "marijuana smoking in progress." For the next five years that was the accepted definition of 420.
Here's what the flyer said:
"420 started somewhere in San Rafael, California in the late '70s. It started as the police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After local heads heard of the police call, they started using the expression 420 when referring to herb - Let's Go 420, dude! After a while something magical started to happen. People began getting stoned at 4:20 am and/or pm. There's something fantastic about getting ripped at 4:20, when you know your brothers and sisters all over the country are lighting up and tokin' up right along with you. Now there's something even more grand than getting baked at 4:20. We're talking about the day of celebration, the real time to get high, the grand master of all holidays: 4/20, or April 20th. This is when you must get the day off work or school. We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais. Just go to downtown Mill Valley, find a stoner and ask where Bolinas Ridge is. If you make it to Marin you will definitely find it. Helpful Hints: Take extra care that nothing is going to go wrong within that minute. No heavy winds, no cops, no messed-up lighters. Get together with your friends and smoke pot hardcore."
In 1998, a person calling himself Steve Waldo contacted High Times claiming he and five friends of his ("The Waldos") had coined the term while they all attended San Rafael High School in Marin Country north of San Francisco in the early 1970s. He had proof (letters, posters, banners) that they had come up with the term. So High Times named the Waldos the founders of 420.
However, the Waldos hadn't conceived the idea of a stoner holiday on 4/20. That came from the Deadheads and has taken on a life of its own over the years.
I'll be speaking at the National Marijuana Forum sponsored by NORML@CU in Boulder on Apr. 19 and smoking out with the masses on 4/20.
What if you were born on 4-20 at 4:20am. Like me?? Were you born to toke? I don't know if I was born to toke or not, but it is my favorite past time. LIGHT UP AND ROCK ON AMERICA!
