Marijuana holiday 4/20 coincides with Easter and Passover this year. Here’s what to know
Share and Follow

Marijuana culture’s high holiday, known as 4/20, falls this year on Easter Sunday, as well as the last day of Passover, meaning cannabis fans can celebrate in some unusual ways, including an “Easter nug hunt” in Los Angeles, kosher-style THC gummies in New York and a “blaze and praise” drag brunch in Portland, Oregon.

“It seemed appropriate with egg prices today that we’d be searching for something else,” said Brett Davis, who runs the marijuana tour company Weed Bus Los Angeles and organized the “Easter nug hunt.”

Here’s a look at 4/20’s history and how it’s being celebrated this year:

Why 4/20?

The origins of the date, and the term “420” generally, were long murky.

Some claimed it referred to a police code for marijuana possession or was derived from Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35,” with its refrain of “Everybody must get stoned,” 420 being the product of 12 times 35.

But the prevailing explanation is that it started in the 1970s with a group of bell-bottomed buddies from San Rafael High School, in California’s Marin County north of San Francisco, who called themselves “the Waldos.”

Marijuana Holiday
Music fans seek shelter in a grass hut at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in Bethel, N.Y., Aug. 17, 1969. (AP Photo/File)AP

A friend’s brother was afraid of getting busted for a patch of cannabis he was growing in the woods at nearby Point Reyes, so he drew a map and gave the teens permission to harvest the crop, the story goes.

During fall 1971, at 4:20 p.m., just after classes and football practice, the group would meet up at the school’s statue of chemist Louis Pasteur, smoke a joint and head out to search for the weed patch. They never did find it, but their private lexicon — “420 Louie” and later just “420” — would take on a life of its own.

The Waldos saved postmarked letters and other artifacts from the 1970s referencing “420,” which they now keep in a bank vault, and when the Oxford English Dictionary added the term in 2017, it cited some of those documents as the earliest recorded uses.

How did 4/20 spread?

A brother of one of the Waldos was a close friend of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, as Lesh once confirmed in an interview with the Huffington Post, now HuffPost. The Waldos began hanging out in the band’s circle, and the slang term spread.

Fast-forward to the early 1990s: Steve Bloom, a reporter for the cannabis magazine High Times, was at a Dead show when he was handed a flyer urging people to “meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais.” High Times published it.

“It’s a phenomenon,” one of the Waldos, Steve Capper, now 69, once told The Associated Press. “Most things die within a couple years, but this just goes on and on. It’s not like someday somebody’s going to say, ‘OK, Cannabis New Year’s is on June 23rd now.’”

While the Waldos came up with the term, the people who made the flier that was distributed at the Dead show — effectively turning 4/20 into a holiday — remain unknown.

How is it celebrated?

With weed, naturally.

In New York City, the cannabis brand Tokin’ Jew is advertising a kosher-style THC gummy line, “Tokin’ Chews,” designed to meet dietary restrictions for Passover.

Marijuana Holiday
A vendor at a cannabis marketplace in Los Angeles.Richard Vogel / AP

Davis said he expected 300 people to partake in the West Hollywood Easter nug scavenger hunt this weekend, aided by a mobile app leading them through participating dispensaries, trivia challenges and “stoner activities.” There is a $500 cash prize.

In Portland, Bar Carlo is hosting the “blaze and praise” drag brunch. Cannabis consumption isn’t allowed onsite — “Please blaze before you arrive or go for a walk in the neighborhood in between performances,” the event listing reads — but there will be a door-prize gift basket from a local dispensary.

Bar owner Melinda Archuleta said the brunch is a dry run for hosting Pride month events in June. She herself doesn’t care much for marijuana, but as a Mexican American who has been influenced by Catholicism, she is interested in seeing the two cultures melded “in a cheeky way.”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing how the queens do it,” Archuleta said. “We’ve obviously given them carte blanche to do whatever they want — it’s 21 and up — so it doesn’t matter if it’s sacrilegious or borderline offensive.”

There are bigger celebrations, too, including the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver and one put on by SweetWater Brewing in Atlanta. Hippie Hill in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park historically has attracted massive crowds, but the gathering was canceled for a second straight year, with organizers citing a lack of financial sponsorship and city budget cuts.

Just north of the Bay Area, Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma, California, releases its “Waldos’ Special Ale” every year on 4/20 in partnership with the term’s coiners.

4/20 also has become a big industry event, with vendors gathering to try each other’s wares.

What about the politics?

There are 24 states that allow recreational marijuana and 14 others allowing it for medical purposes. But the movement recently has suffered some setbacks, with voters in Florida, North Dakota and South Dakota deciding not to adopt legalization measures last November.

Several states also have cracked down on intoxicating products derived from hemp, which have been widely sold even in prohibition states thanks to a loophole in the federal Farm Bill.

Marijuana Holiday
Natalie Rice, left, kisses her new husband, Lee Rice, beneath a canopy of faux marijuana plants during a ceremony at the Cannabis Chapel, Wednesday, April 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. John Locher / AP

Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. As a candidate, President Donald Trump said he would vote for Florida’s amendment and signaled support for reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a process started by the Biden administration.

But his administration has not indicated cannabis policy is a priority. A fact sheet released by the White House last month complained that marijuana decriminalization in Washington, D.C., was an example of “failed policies” that “opened the door to disorder.”

A bipartisan group of senators last week reintroduced legislation that would ensure states can adopt their own cannabis policies and remove certain financial hurdles for the industry, such as letting entities deduct business expenses on their taxes.

Charles Alovisetti, a lawyer with the cannabis industry law firm Vicente LLP, said he hopes the administration will push forward with marijuana reform at the federal level, saying “it does align with some of their policy objectives — namely reducing criminal activity, or cartel activity.”

He also encouraged advocates to keep pushing, noting some measures such as improving banking access for marijuana businesses might pass as part of larger legislative packages.

“You continue speaking up, even if the political momentum isn’t there,” Alovisetti said. “It’s only possible if you stay in everyone’s ear.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
2 Republicans flip, defeating war powers resolution after intense Trump pressure

Republican Reversal: Two GOP Members Succumb to Trump Pressure, Blocking War Powers Resolution

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans successfully blocked a war powers resolution aimed at…
Karen Read says she is still traumatized by boyfriend's murder trial

Karen Read Opens Up About Ongoing Trauma from Boyfriend’s High-Profile Murder Trial

Karen Read has opened up about the emotional toll she has endured…
Renee Nicole Good's family hires George Floyd legal team for civil investigation after fatal ICE shooting

Justice for Renee Nicole Good: Family Enlists George Floyd’s Legal Team in ICE Shooting Probe

The family of Renee Nicole Good, who was tragically shot by an…
Maury Povich reflects on daytime TV's wild ride in 'Dirty Talk: When Daytime Talk Shows Ruled TV'

Maury Povich Explores the Evolution of Daytime Television in ‘Dirty Talk: The Era When Daytime Talk Shows Dominated the Screen

NEW YORK — Long before audiences were captivated by the Real Housewives,…
'We couldn't believe it': Police investigating smash-and-grab at Grumpy’s in Neptune Beach

Shocking Smash-and-Grab at Grumpy’s in Neptune Beach Under Police Investigation

Authorities are currently probing a brazen break-in at Grumpy’s Restaurant in Neptune…
Another near-record hot year a 'warning shot': Scientists

Scientists Warn: Near-Record Heat in 2023 Signals Urgent Climate Change Alert

WASHINGTON (AP) — Last year, the Earth’s average temperature reached alarmingly high…
US freezes visas for 75 countries including Russia and Iran

US Halts Visa Issuance for 75 Nations, Impacting Russia and Iran

In a significant move, Donald Trump has halted visa processing for 75…
Portland Rep. asked about shooting of alleged Tren de Aragua gangsters

Portland Representative Addresses Concerns Over Alleged Tren de Aragua Gang Shooting Incident

Oregon Congresswoman Maxine Dexter recently found herself in the hot seat during…