Today is 4/20! For cannabis enthusiasts, 4/20 – aka April 20th – is a day to celebrate the cannabis plant, fight for a change in drug policy…or simply kick back and relax with friends. But where does it come from…what does it mean? Some say the origin story of ‘420’ comes from:
- The number of chemical compounds in cannabis;
- A mythical 4:20pm tea time in Holland;
- Others have stated that it coincides with Bob Marley’s birthdate, or the death dates of Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix or Janis Joplin. It has also been explained as a police code for cannabis use.
All of these are false.
According to Chris Conrad, curator of the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum in Oakland, California, 420 started as a secret code among high schoolers in the early 1970s. It has to do with a group of athletes at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California…who planned to meet at their school’s Louis Pasteur statue after their team practices were over, at – you guessed it – 4:20pm.
In Case You Were Curious...About Pot!
- It’s basically impossible to overdose on pot.
- More than 160-million people globally use cannabis – that’s 5% of the global population. Cultures around the world have been using the cannabis plant in some way or another for centuries.
- It’s not about lighting up – there are 111 different cannabinoids in cannabis…some make you feel good, others focus on pain and others just help appetite. THC and CBD are the most common cannabinoids in cannabis, but they’re far from the only beneficial compounds found in the plant. Other cannabinoids like CBN and CBG are known to have medicinal effects.
- Studies have shown much promise in using medicinal cannabis for pain management – and as an option in dealing with the opioid crisis.
- Cannabis users eat an average of 600 more calories per day. BUT, they also have lower BMIs and smaller waistlines than their non-smoking counterparts.
- Studies have shown that cannabis cuts your risk of becoming obese by about a third. This could be because weed helps your body regulate blood sugars. This statistical coincidence is partly the reason why the herb is currently being studied for as a treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.
- While Blacks and whites consume cannabis at the same rates, Blacks are 330% more likely to get arrested over it. That’s according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which found that Blacks are eight times more likely to get arrested in some states. Namely, Iowa, DC, and Minnesota.
- Some math: Cannabis prohibition costs the US state and federal governments $17.5-billion each year – it’s estimated that states alone spent roughly $3.6-billion on cannabis law enforcement in 2010. Legalizing cannabis in all states would earn $10+ billion in tax revenue. California and Colorado are the two biggest states for cannabis have a foothold in the industry and have achieved almost $4-billion dollars in sales. That’s more than every other US state combined!