In early May, the media traditionally swept the wave of news about preparations for the International Hemp March, which is being held on the first Saturday of May. Here, the majority of citizens who were not involved in the subculture of marijuana use arose the questions: what is 420? What is this subculture? And where is April 20?
Strange numbers
“4/20”, “4:20”, “420” is a term used in the North American narcotic subculture and spread around the world as a password for everyone who is somehow involved in the use of cannabis. It is read and pronounced "four to twenty." The figures themselves do not carry any meaning. Of interest is the context in which the term is used.
Mythology
So many legends and inventions have accumulated around him that Atlantis will envy. Fans of marijuana will answer differently the question of what 420 is. Several versions:
- so many compounds in marijuana;
- This is the code of American cops for going to drug addicts;
- the number of songs by Bob Dylan and Bob Marley;
- On April 20, at 4:20, either Jim Morrison, or Jimmy Hendrix, or Janice Joplin, or ... you can continue.
But there are 315 chemical compounds in marijuana, and the American cops don't have that code. You can continue.
How it all started
Legend has it that in 1971, students in the school of the California town of San Rafael really wanted to destroy the wild hemp of the surrounding area by lighting it. For hidden sorties to search for the desired product, they gathered at 4 hours 20 minutes in the afternoon near the statue of Louis Pasteur (a well-known microbiologist and did not hope for such dubious fame), raided, or simply smoked over the jamb. So there was a password and a collection signal for the initiates who called themselves Waldos (English wall - wall) - 420.
Marijuana Culture
The subculture developed, developing its rituals and features. Marijuana was not only smoked, but also fried with sugar, boiled in milk, added to baked goods and sweets. A philosophy developed that incorporated the features of Rastafarianism (though only superficial). Teenagers have matured - from reggae they went to rock, grew dreadlocks or became hippies.
4:20 turns on April 20
Matured teenagers, fans of the famous music band Grateful Dead, accompanied the musicians on a tour throughout America. And everywhere at 4:20 in the afternoon they gathered with their new friends "on the doorstep" (a habit, as they say, second nature). Very soon there were a lot of fans of such gatherings, the question arose about the mass organized action of marijuana worship. The choice of the date of the controversy did not cause - in the American tradition, the month is written before the date. So 420 became April 20 - the day of unity of fans of cannabis culture.
American festival
April 20, 1991 marked the beginning of the annual growing festivals of the subculture of marijuana smokers. That year, the Washington Hemp Expo, held in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill (Washington), did not attract participants and did not attract much attention. Nobody knew what 420 was. But it was the beginning, and each subsequent year the movement for the legalization of marijuana was gaining momentum.
Today, participants in the Seattle Hempfest in Seattle set out to convey the benefits of cannabis to everyone. Its usefulness in medicine, agriculture and other fields of activity of people. The festival has gained the scale of a three-day performance with performances by famous musicians and an incredibly colorful audience: clones of Bob Marley, hipsters, free hippies, rastaman, punks and sophisticatedly sad emo girls.
International Hemp March
It is traditionally held in May, and its participants are far from promoting the unsystematic use of tetrahydrocannabinol. Their goal is to protect human freedoms by legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal and personal purposes, to stop false propaganda regarding hemp and derivatives. And most importantly, end the harassment of cannabis consumers.
The history of the movement of supporters of the legalization of marijuana is 12 years old, it is supported by about 40 countries. In large cities of Russia there are also his supporters and activists.
Toronto marches consistently gather more than 25 thousand participants and are always peaceful and fun.
Our European Neighbor
In autumn, the Cannafest festival, the international exhibition of hemp and medicinal herbs, is held in Prague. It began as an unusual local holiday, and now it is one of the most popular festivals in the world with the participation of representatives from more than 20 countries. At the exhibition, you can participate in tasting muffins and drinks, buy hemp clothes, attend lectures on the rules for growing cannabis, and buy hemp seeds. Visitors to the Smoking Chillout Zone and hemp buffet will be happy to explain to everyone who it is, “4 20” or “4/20”.
The first festival was organized in 2010, when the Czech Republic passed a law permitting the storage of up to 15 g of hemp and cultivating up to five bushes of plants for their own needs. This is what “420” is for our European brethren.
To summarize. The holy meanings for a smoker of marijuana are four hours and twenty minutes, April 20 and 420. The culture of marijuana use has made from these numbers a symbol, password and identification mark, which unmistakably carry out the identification of “friend or foe”. According to these signals, a marijuana lover anywhere in the world will find like-minded people for friendly communication and lovers of quality cannabis to meet their needs.