Weed Day Q&A: HuffPost Answers Your 420 History Questions

There are countless stories to explain where the term 420 comes from, but for 41 years, the guys who coined the term at San Rafael High School in Northern California have been shrouded behind the cloak of anonymity, going only by the monicker "Waldos."

On Friday, April 20, they will finally come forward and claim credit. They also have a ton of evidence to prove they were using the term in the early '70s. We'll be talking about 420, its meaning, its history and whatever else we can come up with in a live video discussion at 4:20 p.m. EST Thursday.

Have a question about 420? Have insight into how it spread? Post any questions you want answered in the comment section below and/or tweet them to @ryangrim, @lucia_graves, or use the hashtag #HPlive.

HuffPost's D.C. bureau chief Ryan Grim will be moderating the discussion, along with reporter Lucia Graves. Grim is also our resident marijuana historian. Check out his book: "This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America."

Comments

[ronp121]

08:49 AM on 04/20/2012

When the Corporations tells congress (not the people) that they have figured a way to completely profit from weed then it will be legalized. Until then buy your pills like good little corporate fed dummies should and sit back and wait. Lets face it you can grow it smoke it cook it and make to much from it to legalize it. Big boys want none of that cutting into their booze and cig. profits. Lets face it booze will destroy you cigs will kill you but were talking profits that would probably take a hit and that is not how corporate america is to be run. They need the weak to leech off to survive. Without them they would be history and weed would be legal. Not that anyone really cares anymore just turned into a formality that is and never really has been observed.

[Dharken ODale]

07:34 AM on 04/20/2012

What I read a group of students would break during the day go to a dorm room and have a smoke. What they noticed was the time always seemed about the same around 4:20 in the day. Good enough of an explanation for me.
I would rather see a movement get cannabis removed from the schedule 1 controlled substances act rather than this piecemeal state by state change. Prohibition was repealed because the entire country was breaking the law, sounds like a good idea. Maybe April 20th 2013 every American should pick up a bag of cannabis (not like it's hard to find anyways) head to your state capitol and light up on the steps. Strength in numbers, they can't arrest everybody and if they do it would bring the so-called justice system to a grinding halt.

[Topdown1]

01:35 PM on 04/23/2012

I remember doing that in the mid 70's. The smoke inns across from the White House in Lafayette Park. A large group of young people, including myself, were smoking weed right in front of the D.C. cops. We wanted to be arrested in mass. It was decided that mass arrests would further the cause for legalization. The cops didn't take the bait. No one was arrested, and pot is still illegal 35 years later. What a shame. By definition, I've been an outlaw for a little over 40 years, even though I've held a job, supported a family and paid my taxes all those years. Other than a speeding ticket or two over the years, this has been my only crime. Here's a list of medications I take regularly:... None!! I truly don't care about any damn drug laws. I know those laws have nothing to do with protecting me, but only the profits of the pharmaceutical and liquor industry. I'll choose my own drugs, and my own life.

[kaptan]

06:01 AM on 04/20/2012

People say legalize and tax it . Trouble is that it is to common and easy to grow . If the government and large companies could figure out a way they had more control ( over profits) it would be legal . The answer might be in brand indorsments. works for tobacco acohol and others. Want it legal ? push for not any weed ,but rather for premium bud.

[Brandon R Lucas]

05:41 AM on 04/20/2012

Stoner Kids?

[Genders]

04:51 PM on 04/21/2012

Drunk kids?

[Brandon R Lucas]

05:55 PM on 04/21/2012

What?

[oxblossom]

12:12 AM on 04/20/2012

San Ra/Fell, not San Raphael (the Italian painter). Marin is MaRIN as in Rin Tin Tin.

[darkmark]

10:06 PM on 04/19/2012

some people still say there is no harm in the law. besides the obvious, how about your government lying to you. putting you in jail because they have passed laws based on those lies. ruining people's lives based on those lies. knowing they are lying to us the tell us they are doing this for our own good, while they ruin thousands of people's lives. so we know, both democrat or republican, they are lying to us and screwing over our lives just because we want to puff a little weed. they are so full of their lies that they even made hemp illegal. how about this in australia its legal to grow hemp but they illegal eat the seeds. in the usofa its illegal to grow hemp but legal to eat the seeds. alice in wonderland is supposed to be a story not reality. at times it really seems like the patients are running the insane asylum. but we keep voting them into office. if a politician is anti marijuana he doesn't get my money or vote.

[carnivaluv]

09:19 PM on 04/19/2012

There used to be a yearly "Pot Festival" in Atlanta twenty something years ago. Then it got cancelled for good. The last one I went to, "The Georgia Satellites" performed.

[Allen Clark]

08:21 PM on 04/19/2012

Am I suppose to think that those two people have any clue as to what they are talking about and I should trust them? Well they look like two people that are probably smoking their brains out and have no business trying to give the impression that they know anything. I know exaclty where the term 420 came from and it was not in California and it was not in the early 70s. I was there and I lived it. Sad when we even think about listening to our children tell us about life.

[Daniel Silverstein]

08:44 PM on 04/19/2012

ok where did it come from then?

[habajebe]

09:11 PM on 04/19/2012

AC, "I know... but I won't tell you."

[GibsonSG]

12:25 PM on 04/22/2012

Oh yeah? Well I invented the term "Hippy Crack" in reference to nitrous oxide in the lot of a Dead show at Deer Creek in 1991. So there.

As far as not listening to our children, maybe if we did a better job raising them to be informed, responsible human beings instead of a generation of entitled everyone receives a trophy crybabies, they would be worth hearing. And I realize not all young people are entitled whiners. Just like I realize not all old farts are cranky and angry.

[Seattle Guy]

08:07 PM on 04/19/2012

Personally, I liked April 1st the best - the day of the annual Hash Bash on the diag at Michigan. I attended the first one back in 1972. Good times, good memories.

[madbear]

10:40 PM on 04/19/2012

John Sinclair would disagree about all that.

[RevRayGreen]

07:36 PM on 04/19/2012

#op420 any questions, the Waldo's, Rainy Day Women 12 & 35......

[RevRayGreen]

07:35 PM on 04/19/2012

BoB Dylan Rainy Day Women 12 & 35 , the Waldo's....

[stevestrange]

06:55 PM on 04/19/2012

In the immortal words of the great Rick James....

"I'm in love with Mary Jane". I'm telling you...She's a fine young lady..Very calming presence..Plus she makes me laugh.

[JulieCarol]

06:49 PM on 04/19/2012

What people need to realize is that the reasons for most laws and whether something is legal or not usually has to do with how much money some wealthy company will make or lose. Everything in our society revolves around that...sad.

[cpocraig]

07:47 PM on 04/19/2012

In this case I think that the big business that really does not want it legal is: The courts, police, prison guards, FBI, DEA, State Department, Boarder Control and etc. We're talking what? A hundred billion dollars?

[habajebe]

09:13 PM on 04/19/2012

Too much money on both sides of the equation for anything to change.

[JulieCarol]

06:44 PM on 04/19/2012

I heard that the police code for a bust was a 420? Not sure about that one. But I also heard that you plant your seeds on 4/20. I think there are meany reasons for 420. It's pretty cool.

[GibsonSG]

12:31 PM on 04/22/2012

The police code is flat out wrong and has been disproven many times. If you are doing an outside grow, 4/20 may be too early to plant due to the risk of frost. And if you're growing indoors, the planting date has absolutely no meaning. The Waldo's explanation is the only one which hasn't been debunked, so I'm going with that.

[blackwind]

06:06 PM on 04/19/2012

Waiting until 4:20 to get stoned is a good way to maintain self-discipline.
Although I personally think it's OK to get stoned if it's no more than a half hour (give or take) from 4:20 in some time zone.

[Turnaround]

08:44 PM on 04/19/2012

a.m. or p.m, your choice.

[Oinari]

09:56 AM on 04/20/2012

I remember saying no many times when I was younger. First time smoking it was when I was over 21. Since then I've smoked it maybe 2-4 times a year, at a party where I would normally be drinking, always when I don't plan on driving.

Never have I actually craved it, or went looking for where to find it. Always just at a party where a friend brought some, and I've turned it down plenty of times due to responsibility. I see no reason why it should be treated differently than alcohol as far as legal issues.