420 (pronounced 'four-twenty') is a code term for cannabis culture and consumption. It refers to both the time (4:20 PM) and the date (April 20). The term originated with a group of five high school students in San Rafael, California in 1971 who would meet at 4:20 PM to search for an abandoned cannabis crop.

Where did 420 originate?

420 originated with the 'Waldos' — five students at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California in 1971: Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravitch. They used '420' as a code to meet at 4:20 PM by the Louis Pasteur statue to search for an abandoned cannabis plot. The term spread through Grateful Dead connections.

Why is April 20 cannabis day?

April 20 (4/20) became cannabis day because '420' was already the code word for cannabis culture. As the term spread from the San Rafael Waldos through the Grateful Dead community and into mainstream culture, April 20 naturally became the date for cannabis celebrations, rallies, and eventually dispensary sales events.

Is 420 a national holiday?

420 is not an official national holiday, but it functions as one for the cannabis industry and culture. It's the biggest sales day of the year for dispensaries — similar to Black Friday for retail. All 29 dispensaries in New Buffalo, MI run major promotions on April 20.

What Is 420? The History, Culture & Why April 20 Is Cannabis Day

Every cannabis consumer knows 420. It's on t-shirts, dispensary signs, and social media every April 20. But where did it actually come from? The real origin story involves five high school students, a treasure map, the Grateful Dead, and a number that became the global code word for cannabis.

The Origin: The Waldos of San Rafael (1971)

In the fall of 1971, five students at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California came across a hand-drawn map allegedly showing the location of an abandoned cannabis crop near the Point Reyes Peninsula. The map supposedly came from the grower himself, a member of the Coast Guard who could no longer tend his plants.

The five students — Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravitch — called themselves "the Waldos" because their usual hangout spot was a wall outside the school. They agreed to meet at 4:20 PM after sports practice by the Louis Pasteur statue on campus to begin their search.

They would remind each other during the day by saying "420 Louis" — shorthand for "meet at 4:20 at the Louis Pasteur statue." They never found the cannabis crop, but 420 stuck as their code word for anything cannabis-related.

How It Spread: The Grateful Dead Connection

The term might have stayed a local inside joke, but the Waldos had a connection to the Grateful Dead. Dave Reddix's older brother, Patrick, was friends with Phil Lesh, the Dead's bassist. Mark Gravitch's father managed the Dead's real estate.

The Waldos started using "420" backstage at Dead concerts and rehearsals. The Deadheads — the band's devoted following — picked it up. As the Dead toured the country, the term spread through their massive network of fans. By the 1980s, "420" was common slang in cannabis circles across America.

Going Mainstream: High Times and Beyond

In 1991, a group of Grateful Dead fans in Oakland distributed flyers inviting people to "smoke 420 on April 20 at 4:20 p.m." One of these flyers reached Steve Bloom, a reporter for High Times magazine. The magazine printed the flyer and began using "420" in articles, spreading it to their massive readership.

By the mid-1990s, 420 was universal cannabis slang. The internet accelerated its spread further. Today, it's recognized globally — from Amsterdam coffee shops to Tokyo cannabis culture to dispensaries in every legal state in America.

Debunking the Myths

Over the decades, many false origin stories have circulated:

"420 is the police code for marijuana" — False. There is no police code 420 for cannabis in any jurisdiction.
"There are 420 chemical compounds in cannabis" — False. Cannabis has over 500 identified compounds, with 100+ cannabinoids.
"420 is Bob Marley's birthday" — False. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945.
"420 relates to Hitler's birthday" — While Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, this is a pure coincidence with no connection to cannabis culture.
"420 was a Grateful Dead song" — False. The Dead helped spread the term but didn't originate it and never recorded a song about it.

The Waldos have extensively documented their claim, including letters and postmarked envelopes from the early 1970s using "420" as cannabis code. Their origin story is accepted by High Times, the Huffington Post, the Oxford English Dictionary, and cannabis historians.

420 Today: The Cannabis Industry's Black Friday

What started as a high school code word is now the biggest commercial day in cannabis retail. For dispensaries, 420 is what Black Friday is for traditional retail — the single highest-revenue day of the year.

In states with legal cannabis, April 20 brings:

20-50% storewide discounts at nearly every dispensary
BOGO deals on popular product categories
Free gifts with purchase — pre-rolls, lighters, branded merchandise
Limited-edition product drops timed specifically for 420
Extended hours — many dispensaries open early and close late
Festival-like atmospheres with music, food trucks, and brand pop-ups

420 in New Buffalo, Michigan

New Buffalo takes 420 to another level. With 29 dispensaries in a town of 1,900 people, the competition on April 20 drives some of the best deals in the entire country. Every shop is fighting for your business with aggressive pricing, making it one of the best places in America to shop on 420.

Located at I-94 Exit 1 (the very first exit in Michigan), New Buffalo draws cannabis consumers from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin — states where recreational cannabis is either illegal or more expensive. On 420, the town becomes a cannabis destination.

Highlights of 420 in New Buffalo:

$20 ounces at Bloomery — the cheapest in Michigan
50% off first purchase at Kush-E-Mart — half off everything
40% off + free product at Border Buds — plus early bird specials
Consumption lounges — legally enjoy your purchases on-site
Beach town vibes — combine shopping with Lake Michigan

The Cultural Significance

420 has evolved beyond just cannabis consumption. It represents:

Community — a shared culture and identity for cannabis enthusiasts worldwide
Activism — 420 rallies were instrumental in pushing legalization forward
Normalization — as legal markets grow, 420 becomes more mainstream every year
Economics — the cannabis industry now generates billions in tax revenue and jobs
Science — increased research into cannabinoids, terpenes, and therapeutic applications

From five teenagers at a California high school to a global cultural phenomenon worth billions — that's the 420 story. And every April 20, dispensaries across Michigan and the country celebrate with the biggest sales of the year.