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On grinders, billboards, in growshops, in the names of CBD stores, and weed strains, the number 420 often comes up when talking about cannabis or CBD.
Whether used as is, as a date or as a time (4:20 or 4/20 according to the English calendar system), it's like the number 23: it's everywhere! In Amsterdam, it's literally on every street corner.
For over 50 years, this number has referred to cannabis consumption. All over the world, April 20 is National Cannabis Day and 4.20am isworld smoking time.
But where does the term 420 come from? What does it mean, and why is it now found all over the world?
You'll find the answer to all your questions in this article!
The origin of the term has remained uncertain for many years. Several theories have been put forward to explain it, and several people or groups have tried to claim it as their own.
Today, we know with certainty that it is neither a reference to Hitler's date of birth, nor a code used by the American police, and that neither Bob Dylan, Bob Marley nor Lovecraft originated it.
Today, everyone agrees that the Waldos are responsible for the 420.
The story of the Waldos begins in the early 1970s. It was the name given to a group of teenagers who hung out together at high school in San Rafael, California. These friends would get together after school before their parents got home from work to smoke joints at 4.20am. This is how 420 became code for sneaking a smoke. But by their own admission, they weren't a stoner band a la Cheech and Chang, just typical high-school kids, but damn lucky.
The Waldos had heard of an abandoned plantation near San Rafael. The code 420, the time at which they would find each other, became the cryptic message they would use to talk about their search operations. They never found the plantation, but over time, the expression became their code for all things weed-related. So the meaning of the term 420 is the one that's still often used, 4:20 a.m.: smoking time.
As you'd expect, the story doesn't end there, otherwise no one would ever have heard of Code 420 outside the small Californian town.
The expression then spread to the United States thanks to the Grateful Dead, whose members were renowned for their love of cannabis.
The story goes that the members of the Waldos group wanted to buy a house in San Rafael. And that's where the young men's luck ran out, as the real estate agent they spoke to was none other than the father of one of the group's friends. One thing led to another, and the little group of friends met the Grateful Dead, sharing their love of cannabis and the famous 420 code.
Concert after concert, the band began to spread the word. Thanks to word of mouth, the expression spread across a large part of the country until the famous weed magazine High Times began using it. From then on, the 420 code became one of the most widely shared expressions among cannabis consumers. It entered the culture in North America first, before spreading around the world.
Over the decades, the code 420 has become a symbol, particularly in North America. The number has become as widespread in Hollywood productions as it has in more underground cultural networks, and in everything to do with pop culture.
Unsurprisingly, it can be found in the title of an album by Method Man, a Wu Tang Clan rapper, as well as in almost every film featuring stoners(How High, Harold and Kumar, Pineapple Express...).
He's also featured in hit shows like How I Met Your Mother, where the clock in Ted, Marshall and Lilli's apartment regularly reads 4:20: sandwich time!
This time also appears on the clocks of the disreputable pawnbroker in Pulp Fiction.
Fun fact: the hype is so strong in the USA that some states have had to change some mileage signs to read 419.9 miles instead of 420, because the signs were being stolen too regularly.
The use of the expression is much less widespread in France than in the United States, its homeland. It is rarely found in cultural or cinematographic works dealing with the subject of cannabis consumption. It's worth noting, however, that an entire film soberly named "420, Le film" has been awarded to the expression. Directed by MrPianitza, a French independent filmmaker known for his strange and offbeat creations, the film has been favorably received by fans of the genre.
On the model of the American day of celebration on April 20, France has also planned a day of celebration and demands. This one doesn't take place in April, but in May. It's called the Cannaparade, and it takes place on Saturday, May 24, 2025. But whereas in other countries, 420-related events are all about festivities and celebration, the Cannaparade is all about making demands!
As every year, this militant event in favor of the legalization of Cannabis will start at 2pm from the Place de la République. On the program: brass bands and sound-system floats through the streets of Paris to the Place de la Bastille. Participation is free, and it's an opportunity to meet activists and French associations fighting for legalization, all in a festive, good-natured atmosphere. Don't hesitate to join in!
In recent years, this day of mobilization to push forward state and European legislation has also become an opportunity for many CBD shops and growshops to get their names out there by organizing events and joining in this day of celebration and demands.
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