Marijuana has many names; pot, herb, grass, weed, mary jane, and more. Many of these names make sense, but what is the significance of 420 and why do people “celebrate” on April 20? Its roots grow back to 1971, when students at San Rafael High School came up with a secret code for smoking weed after school. When members of the friend group would pass each other in the hallway and say “420,” it meant that they would later meet up after class at 4:20pm to smoke cannabis. The nickname soon became a mainstream way to refer to smoking marijuana, and eventually led to people celebrating the plant on April 20 (4/20) each year.
Smoking weed is at a record “high” among adults in the United States, according to a Gallup poll, adults who say they’ve tried marijuana has risen to 49%. This number has skyrocketed from the 4% response taken from a poll in 1970. Perhaps this number is due a more welcoming or relaxed reputation of the drug that we have today. In places like New York City, cannabis consumed orally, or “edibles” can be found being sold through food trucks.
There are many laws around using or smoking cannabis, beginning in 1937, cannabis was prohibited federally. In 1971, Oregon became the first state to “decriminalize the plant.” In 1996, California passes a law to allow medicinal use of marijuana. Later, Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational use in 2012. What’s the difference in these terms?
Decriminalization refers to not treating something (marijuana) as a crime. This also includes the removal of crimes related to them. With the new federal decriminalization of cannabis, people are putting pressure on the government to release prisoners with non-violent marijuana charges from jail.
Medicinal use is using the whole, untreated marijuana plant to treat illnesses or symptoms of diseases, this includes mental health use such as PTSD.
Recreational use refers to using marijuana for enjoyment or leisure purposes rather than health purposes (medicinal).
As of now, 18 states have legalized recreational use of marijuana, and many are on the way to. New Jersey has just announced they will legalize recreational use beginning April 21, 2022. Other states like Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington have legalized recreational use. Currently 39 states allow medical usage, including the recreational states. Even with over 3/4 of states allowing some kind of use of marijuana, many states are still completely illegal, or have stipulations to their usage. For more information on laws in each state, click here.
This 4/20, cannabis users in Utah will be breaking the law and can face getting fined if caught, even with the federal decriminalization. Meanwhile in its neighboring state Colorado, users are allowed an ounce (28 grams) if over 21. With the normalization and acceptance of marijuana, people in states all over the country petition for federal legalization of the plant.
