Cannabis has been one of the most popular drugs for a long time, mostly because it’s relatively easy to obtain and grows from the ground so it doesn’t have a lot of other substances added into it. Cannabis is such a popular substance that it’s created its own subculture solely based on its usage.
People who use cannabis find themselves surrounded by like-minded and spirited people, all smoking and/or ingesting through food for the same reasons. Many people like cannabis because they find that it has relaxing effects on their mind and body, while others enjoy it because it makes them more comfortable with themselves in social situations. People come together to smoke pot and enjoy the effects together, thus, the subculture of it all.
While most people smoke pot, others find it more enjoyable to eat it in food. Some of the most common cannabis treats are brownies, rice krispie treats, and cakes. Most commonly, cannabis will be boiled and melted down to make butter with and that butter is used in the baked good recipes.
A common term that is often associated with cannabis use is 420. 420 has a lot of different meanings to people, but it is typically a slang that refers to the consumption of cannabis. It is most commonly used in North America and because of its popularity is a way to identify oneself with the subculture of cannabis. The use of 420 can refer to the time 4:20pm or to the date, April 20th.
It is believed that the term 420 actually originated among a group of teenagers who lived in San Rafael, California in the early 1970s. This group referred to themselves as the Waldos, which was named after a wall outside their school that became their favorite hang-out spot. The group of teens had heard about an abandoned cannabis crop in the area, so in the Fall of 1971 they decided to search for it together. They designated their meeting place as the high school at 4:20 pm and this became the earliest known usage of the term. After multiple failed attempts at locating the crop, they shortened the phrase from 4:20 Louis (after the statue they met at on the high school grounds) to simply 4:20. Eventually, this term became a code word that would mean smoking pot in general.
There were many other referrals to the term 420 as time went on. Steven Hager, famed High Times editor, deemed 4:20 pm the socially accepted hour of the day to begin consuming cannabis. This quickly became the mantra of followers of the band The Grateful Dead and today, April 20th has become a counterculture holiday when thousands of people gather to consume cannabis together.
