The Story of 4/20

Beware of bein’ the roller when there’s nothin’ left to roll.

—Shel Silverstein

In 1971, a group of five high school students from San Rafael, California—a town immortalized in verse by Shel Silverstein in “The Smoke Off”—coined the term "4:20" while planning to find an abandoned cannabis crop. The group, known as the Waldos because they often met at a wall near their school, consisted of Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich. They decided to meet at the Louis Pasteur statue at San Rafael High School at 4:20 pm to start their search, using the code name "4:20 Louis". After several unsuccessful attempts to find the crop, they shortened the phrase to simply "4:20", which became their secret code for smoking pot.

The story of the Waldos was popularized by Steven Hager of High Times. In May 1991, High Times mentioned 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 holiday for the first time, mistakenly attributing the origin of the term to a police code. This incorrect information soon became widespread. However, in December 1998, it was revealed that the term originated from the Waldos. According to Hager, the phrase spread among followers of the Grateful Dead after Waldo Reddix joined as a roadie for Phil Lesh, the band's bassist. Hager also advocated for 4:20 pm to be recognized as the socially acceptable time for marijuana consumption.

Established in 1989, the reform group Cannabis Action Network, which is affiliated with High Times, is often acknowledged as the driving force behind the popularization of 420 and April 20 as symbols of political and cultural dissent. They have organized rallies on this date and helped other organizations plan similar events.

April 20 is now recognized as an international counterculture holiday where people come together to celebrate and consume cannabis. These events are usually focused on promoting the liberalization and legalization of marijuana. Vivian McPeak, one of the founders of Seattle's Hempfest, describes 4/20 as a combination of celebration and a call to action. Paul Birch emphasizes that this is a global movement that cannot be stopped. As more countries decriminalize and legalize marijuana, cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo points out that even after achieving their goals, 420 will continue to be a time for celebrating acceptance and the strong bond between people and this plant.

Hey, it beats celebrating Hitler’s birthday.

The Great Disappointment

On March 10, 1970, I was excited to have my first experience with a solar eclipse. Mexico was going to have all the fun, of course, but New Orleans was expecting 89% obscuration of the sun. My dad taught me how to make a pinhole projector and everything. I almost thought I was going to miss out on the eclipse when I was hospitalized with an ulcer my mother insisted my third-grade teacher gave me. (No, Mom, you gave me that ulcer.) I was discharged from the hospital in time and was looking forward to Monday’s eclipse.

But it rained.

More recently, I had the chance to see a total solar eclipse. On August 21, 2017, a few friends and I drove down to St. Joseph, Missouri, to see what was being billed as the Great American Eclipse. We stayed in a seedy hotel, drove to a nearby state park, and prepared for totality.

But it rained.

Yesterday, I had my chance again, though due to a lack of planning, I would have to settle for the 78% obscuration here in Minneapolis. “Twice in a Lifetime” it was being billed by many, as the path crossed 2017’s eclipse in southern Illinois. I wanted to go to Cleveland, and Jim wanted to go to Niagara Falls. Still, I still have my eclipse glasses left from 2017, so I’d be able to see most of the sun covered here.

But it fucking rained.

This is probably going to be the last time I’ll ever have the chance to see a total eclipse of the sun. Yeah, sure, I could go watch the million YouTube videos out there that people took, but I want to see a total eclipse with my own eyes. The closest I got was a brief sliver of the sun when the clouds parted right after totality in 2017. 

“God,” my friend David caught me on video saying, “is a dick.”

By the time we got back to the hotel, it was clear and sunny, and I was able to watch the end of the eclipse through eclipse glasses. But like the Holy Grail, totality has always eluded me.

The only time I got a really good look at an eclipse was in February 1979, when I watched a 53% partial eclipse through a welder’s mask and a pair of sunglasses. Before that, in June 1972, I made the mistake of glancing at a partial eclipse with naked eyes for only a split second. There is still a barely noticeable spot in my field of vision to this day.

I figure I’ve got two more chances, both of which would require international travel: Palma de Mallorca in 2026 or Sydney in 2028. I’ve been to Palma… sort of. By that point in our Mediterranean cruise, I was too sick to get off the boat. I’ve never been south of the Equator, so Sydney is intriguing as well.

I could even see a total eclipse right here in Minneapolis… if I live to be 138.

And with my luck, it’ll probably rain that day.

New Wheels

Ever since I trashed my original wheelchair losing control of it on a backward incline, I’ve been served faithfully by “Captain Pike* 2.0.” Think of it as the J.J. Abrams version, replacing the original Jeffrey Hunter version from the original pilot.

Who am I kidding? This chair had issues! The first red flag should have been the chair's tendency to move when the joystick was not engaged, but instead of correcting this flaw, the engineers just put a note in the manual telling me what to do when it happened. (To make things worse, the manual was in “Chinglish,” if you know what I mean.) It kept grabbing my feet, too.

So, I decided to replace it…

Introducing Captain Pike 3.0. Consider this the sexy Anson Mount version with the perfect hair. It hasn’t arrived yet, so all I have is the picture from Amazon, but a few things about this chair really sold me. For one thing, it has twice the power of the old wheelchair: 500 watts will get me up that hill to the parking lot easy peasy, and its 25-mile range would probably get me downtown and back. (Though I would have to find a non-freeway route; its maximum speed is a screaming six miles per hour.)

It also has a different pedal design that won’t snag the heels of my shoes every time I change direction. That in and of itself was a plus.

The chair was supposed to arrive yesterday, but it’s now been pushed back to this Saturday. I’m really looking forward to unpacking it and taking it for a spin.

But watch… the manual is going to be in Chinglish.

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* For those of you who aren’t Star Trek nerds like me, Captain (Christopher) Pike was the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise before Kirk. He famously ends up in a wheelchair, only able to communicate by beeping once for yes or twice for no.