It seems like the United States has a designated day to celebrate everything: independence, presidents, veterans, the earth and even work. But did you know that there is a national pot day? Well, not exactly — but close. On April 20 every year marijuana smokers recognize what they consider to be a national day in honor of the sacred weed. It is no coincidence that April 20 works out to be 4/20, which is a common code word for marijuana among users.
The phrase 420 dates back to the early 70s, and there is a great deal of speculation about where it actually comes from. One fairly believable story is that came from a group of pot smokers in California who met up after school at 4:20 p.m. to search for a marijuana stash hidden in the forest.
But whatever the term’s origins, it has spread throughout the United States, and indeed throughout most of the world, and has become a near universal code for marijuana, and people who are marijuana friendly. In California, for example, the newspaper and online classifieds are full of ads indicating that the poster is “420 friendly.” This is especially common for ads seeking a roommate or to rent an apartment, though it can be found in many types of ads, including some job advertisements.
If you missed the national “smokers” celebration on 4/20 this year, don’t fret. Most dedicated pot enthusiasts consider 4/20 to be the beginning of a celebratory week. And let’s face it, some consider every week to be 420 week.
In honor of the April 20 celebration this year, organizations such as NORML (the national Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) held rallies and festivals, and concluded with a “personal freedom” conference in San Francisco. NORML members say that April 20 is marijuana’s equivalent to “Miller Time:” a specially designated time to get stoned.
But NORML also used this April 20 to make a political point. The organization spent hundreds of thousands of dollars running ads in New York City requesting that Mayor Michael Bloomberg insist that marijuana smokers to be fined, but not arrested if caught smoking pot in public.
Mayor Bloomberg himself admitted to a New York Magazine reporter that he had used marijuana and “enjoyed it.” The NORML ads reminded the mayor of his admission, and requested that he take immediate action to decriminalize the public use of marijuana. Similar pro-marijuana political Ads also ran in California.
