Spring Break
Lifting The Haze From 'High' Holiday Myths
Alyssa Carroll
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Focus
The "stoner" superbowl, and a favorite holiday of all herbal lovers, 4/20 is a celebration of all the green glory that is marijuana. It is a day where red eyes are as common as blue, snack foods are inhaled by the pounds and tie-dye and hemp uniforms are seen all around. However, there is as much haze surrounding the history behind this holiday as the participants themselves.
Many people have no idea as to why 4/20 is the preferred spark time of the green culture, and an equal amount have only heard the urban legends. Paige Nuzzolillo, 4th-semester anthropology major, believes that 4/20 is celebrated, "because it's the police code. 420 is the police code for marijuana." Tom Morph, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's "because it was Hitler's birthday." Zane Roberts, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's simply because "stoners need a holiday too." While these are all widely believed theories, none of them are actually correct.
Four-twenty is actually not a police code for anything, anywhere. In fact, California Penal Code 420 defines as a misdemeanor the hindrance of use of public lands. While 420 is actually Hitler's birthday, surprisingly the birth of this Nazi leader was not the reason that peace-and-love followers rejoice.
Other popular myths include the notion that there are 420 active chemicals in marijuana, and that Grateful Dead would only stay in room 420. However, according to About.com, there are actually only around 315 active chemicals, and according to Grateful Dead Productions spokesman Dennis McNally, that rumor is false.
In reality, according to High Times Magazine, "The term '420,' once shrouded in mystery, began as a code for marijuana among a group of students known as 'The Waldos' at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California. Throughout the 70s and 80s the term spread through the relentless touring phenomenon that was the Grateful Dead. All the while, The Waldos held small ceremonies on April 20th at Mt. Tam in Marin."
Many people have no idea as to why 4/20 is the preferred spark time of the green culture, and an equal amount have only heard the urban legends. Paige Nuzzolillo, 4th-semester anthropology major, believes that 4/20 is celebrated, "because it's the police code. 420 is the police code for marijuana." Tom Morph, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's "because it was Hitler's birthday." Zane Roberts, 2nd-semester theater major, believes it's simply because "stoners need a holiday too." While these are all widely believed theories, none of them are actually correct.
Four-twenty is actually not a police code for anything, anywhere. In fact, California Penal Code 420 defines as a misdemeanor the hindrance of use of public lands. While 420 is actually Hitler's birthday, surprisingly the birth of this Nazi leader was not the reason that peace-and-love followers rejoice.
Other popular myths include the notion that there are 420 active chemicals in marijuana, and that Grateful Dead would only stay in room 420. However, according to About.com, there are actually only around 315 active chemicals, and according to Grateful Dead Productions spokesman Dennis McNally, that rumor is false.
In reality, according to High Times Magazine, "The term '420,' once shrouded in mystery, began as a code for marijuana among a group of students known as 'The Waldos' at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California. Throughout the 70s and 80s the term spread through the relentless touring phenomenon that was the Grateful Dead. All the while, The Waldos held small ceremonies on April 20th at Mt. Tam in Marin."
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Psilly Psymon
posted 4/18/08 @ 1:10 PM EST
Interesting history of 420, Alyssa. Coincidentally enough, LSD was discovered by Albert Hoffman (now 102 years old) on April 19th, 1943, but was actually ingested at 4:20 pm. (Continued…)
Wait, I've seen this before...
posted 4/19/08 @ 12:49 AM EST
This is largely plagiarized. I've seen pretty much the same exact article online for years now, set up in the same structure. The article online gives the same exact reasons, and same solutions nearly word for word. (Continued…)
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