How did 4:20 originate?
though many diverse theories exist to explain the origin of the term, it is widely accepted that in 1971, a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California used to meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis at the Louis Pasteur statue.[3][4] The term became part of their group’s salute, “420 Louis!”,[5] and became popularized in the late 1980s by fans of The Grateful Dead.[6] Many North American cannabis users continue to observe 4:20 as a time to smoke communally. By extension April 20 (“4/20” in U.S. dating shorthand) has evolved into a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.[7][8][9] In some locations this celebration coincides with Earth Week.