What do you say when you see a teenager or someone else wearing a similar T-shirt? Well 4-20. You never know what it means. But in youth culture, nothing happens just like that and it is desirable to be aware of the details.
Now, 4:20 has its meaning …
This material does not call for illegal actions and does not promote the use of drugs. This article is for informational purposes only. Moreover, many parents will find it useful to know what it is 4:20. If you hear this from a child periodically, then you should think about it and read this material.
Nowadays in the youth environment you can sometimes find a MEM or an inscription on clothes in the form of the number 420. Many teenagers naturally have a question, what does the number 420 mean?
420 (pronounced "four-twenty") is a term used in the North American drug subculture to refer to the popular times for smoking marijuana. The number 420 means either 4:20 pm (4 hours 20 pm), or the date 4/20, which is April 20.
On this day, representatives of this culture usually gather in order to spend time, smoke cannabis together, or discuss the policy of the state in which they live, regarding marijuana. Activists on this day usually conduct active propaganda regarding the legalization of marijuana.
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More broadly, "420" is used slang for marijuana or cannabis use.
Although there are many different theories about the origin of the term, it became widespread in 1971, when a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School (San Rafael, California) gathered around this time after school to smoke cannabis near statues of Louis Pasteur.
The expression became part of the cheer of their group "420 Louis!" (eng. "420 Louis!"), and became popular in the late 80's thanks to fans of "The Grateful Dead". Many North American cannabis smokers continue to meet at 4:20 pm to smoke cannabis together. As the term 420 grew in use, it also extended to April 20 ("4/20" in the abbreviated US date format).
This day has become a countercultural holiday, when it is customary to get together and consume cannabis together. In some areas such a holiday coincides with Earth Week.
Nowadays, this greeting has gradually developed into a tradition to meet at exactly 4:20 pm to smoke marijuana together. A little time passed and the date of April 20 gained popularity. In the United States, the date and month are separated by a slash when writing, for example 4/20. This date is considered a holiday for most drug addicts. On this day, it is customary to get together with friends and use the hemp brought with you.
About memes on the topic
Two pictures are taken. The first one says 4:19, the second - 4:20. The point is that the first image shows the character before use, and the second one is already stoned.
Over time, the meme lost its meaning a little and was used simply to compare two images, the second of which is usually cooler than the first. This can be, for example, a photo of an actor and his hero in a film.
Another phenomenon is also associated with the number 4:20 - the suicidal game of the Blue Whale. Namely, it uses the phrase "Wake me up at 4:20."
The 420 campaign encourages people to participate in the political process to legalize marijuana. Particularly popular is the call to "make April 20 the annual starting point for consolidation of pressure on Congress to legalize marijuana." Organizations such as NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation), and SSDP (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) are already using April 20 to advocate for political reform regarding the status of marijuana in society.
And what examples are everyone referring to?
Since January 1, California has become the largest US state to legalize recreational marijuana use.
According to the law, which came into force on the first day of 2018, residents of the state over the age of 21 are allowed to keep up to one ounce (28 grams) of cannabis or grow up to six cannabis plants in their homes.
Opponents of the regulation argued that it would lead to an increase in driving and drug accidents, and would encourage young people to use marijuana.
For entrepreneurs, however, lifting restrictions could be a new, profitable, billion-dollar industry. California residents voted to approve this law in November 2016, at the same time as the US presidential election. Since then, legislators have developed a series of taxes and regulations to govern the sale of the drug.
Two years of chaos
Critics of the law say bureaucratic complications could induce cannabis sellers and consumers to remain on the black market. At the moment, only a few dozen stores have received permission to sell such a product.
In addition, the authorities in Los Angeles and San Francisco will have the right to impose additional sanctions on any point of sale of marijuana. “For the first year or two, chaos awaits us,” Troy Dayton, head of cannabis market research company Arcview, told AFP. As the city government negotiates its own supply and sales rules, he said, there could be a "crazy price mess."
At the same time, experts predict that over time, this business can bring huge profits in one of the richest states in the country. In 1996, California was the first US state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.
Arcview estimates that the annual turnover of the black market for cannabis in the United States is $ 5.1 billion, and if legalized, it could grow to $ 5.8 billion by 2021. Legal buyers of marijuana in the new market will now have to pay regional, municipal and trade taxes, which are expected to be around $ 1 billion per year.
The use of marijuana will be banned in public places and within 300 meters of schools, as well as while driving. Today, marijuana is legalized in six American states - Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, and California. This means that one in five Americans can legally buy the drug.
Despite this, the US federal authorities still perceive marijuana as a prohibited drug and put it on a par with heroin and cocaine.