420 Meaning Story April 20 Became Known as 'Weed Day'
Today is not just another Monday, it's Monday April 20. There is a high probability that you know what 4/20 is, whether you are a marijuana user or not, it also means 420 or 4 20: its meaning That informal holiday is celebrated by pothys who come together to, well, smoke pot.
But even weed enthusiasts don't know why they're waiting 4:20 to light a blunt in the afternoon (or in the morning, I'm not judging). Why was this particular number chosen? Where did 420 come from and what does it stand for?
There are different theories about the origins of 420 but no one is completely certain which is true. Ever heard that 420 is the police code for possession? Or maybe it is the penal code for marijuana use? Well, both of these are lies. California Senate Bill 420 that refers to the use of medical marijuana was actually specifically designated for the code, not the other way around, meaning our governments are also linking the number 420 to marijuana use.
The informal holiday celebrating all things cannabis comes on Monday, as the nation's booming legal marijuana market boomed for economic losses from the coronovirus crisis, with many consumers going underground to cut spending or make deals.
It was supposed to be a long weekend of festivals and music that took place on April 20, or 4/20, code for marijuana's high holiday. Instead, orders to stay at home to curb the epidemic have been turned into an online replica.
Virtual parties and video chats are replacing huge outdoor smoking sessions to mark the rise of legalization and celebrate cannabis culture. The annual festival is thought to have its origins in a group of high school friends from Northern California who used the code for smoking pot in the early 1970s.
“Stay home,” the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, said bluntly. San Francisco Mayor London Breed threatened arrests: “We will not tolerate anyone coming to San Francisco for 4/20 this year."
For businesses, 4/20 is usually their once-a-year Black Friday, when sales soar. Instead, they are reporting up-and-down buying and pondering an uncertain future.
The epidemic means that the world economy may face its worst year since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In a sign of what's to come, US retail sales fell nearly 9% in March - a record. Millions of people are out of work.
For the holiday, "it's a pleasant feeling at this," said Pure CA CEO Jordan Lambs, who specializes in marijuana extracts and trades as Moxie brand products. Before the outbreak, "it was going to be the biggest 4/20 in history," Lams said.
Arizona-based Harvest Health and Recreation CEO Steve White said he wanted to see that consumers behave more than marijuana, such as beer or toilet paper, when money runs low.
When the economy stumbles, beer sales traditionally go up. With toilet paper, panic-buying can be empty shelves but people don't use it much. They just buy less later.
This will be a telling year, as no one in a relatively new industry knows whether sales will decline, remain flat, or grow.
"Do people buy less cannabis, or does it become more disruptive as part of their daily lives?" White said.
Market uncertainty is the latest challenge for an industry that has spread across all states in one form or the other.
The risks are seen in California, where businesses compete with heavy taxes, an illegal market that is still legally dwarfed and a tourism-dependent economy crippled by virus restrictions.Because cannabis is illegal at the federal level, most banks do not want to do business with pot companies and are not included in coronavirus rescue package that will help other businesses.
Before the virus, “we were already teetering on ... an edge of a cannabis collapse,” said Los Angeles dispensary owner Jarred Kiloh, who heads the United Cannabis Business Association. “It’s going to be very difficult for cannabis businesses to make it through this pandemic.”
Despite the introduction of stay-at-home orders in March, which halted the sale of marijuana; Some businesses reported single-day records as stock to customers. New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were among the cities that dispensaries labeled essential businesses that could remain open.
Despite the introduction of stay-at-home orders in March, which halted the sale of marijuana; Some businesses reported single-day records as stock to customers. New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were among the cities that dispensaries labeled essential businesses that could remain open.
In Oregon, cannabis retailers saw a huge spike last month - a 30% increase in average sales per retailer compared to March 2019. The mid-month sales growth was even greater.However, peak levels have come down and customers are coming in less but buying more, said David Elport, who owns two Bridge City Collective Stores in Portland. He hired three more employees to handle home delivery.
In Illinois, the marijuana business Gov. J.B. May work under orders to stay at Pritzker's home. The companies made extensive changes that included sale-only and online orders.Mission Dispensary on Chicago's South Side saw an initial spike in purchases before the lockdown took effect, but it remains closed.
“We’ve never faced an economic downturn when cannabis was legal,” said Kris Krane, president of Mission dispensaries. “This is completely unprecedented.”
Some customers could be especially vulnerable during an economic downturn. Among cannabis users in states where its legal, 32% have incomes below $35,000 and only 54% have full-time employment, according to BDS Analytics. Anyone on a tight budget might be more apt to avoid taxes that go with legal purchases and buy from illicit market dealers.
Steve DeAngelo, co-founder of Harborsed Dispensaries in California, said it is difficult to predict how cannabis consumers will react to the deep economic downturn.
Nevertheless, he notes that the industry has been lasting for years through good and bad times, even when consumers had only one option - illegal purchases. He said consumers who consider marijuana a part of their routine will keep coming back.
But, for businesses, there will be a “sorting out,” DeAngelo said. Companies with strong brands and cash reserves are likely to fare better in a poor economy; those saddled with heavy debt who made too-rosy promises to investors will face challenges.
“There is not going to be an extinction moment,” DeAngelo said. “It’s going to prove more resilient than many, many other industries.”
Today is not just another Monday, it's Monday April 20. There is a high probability that you know what 4/20 is, whether you are a marijuana user or not, it also means 420 or 4 20: its meaning That informal holiday is celebrated by pothys who come together to, well, smoke pot.
But even weed enthusiasts don't know why they're waiting 4:20 to light a blunt in the afternoon (or in the morning, I'm not judging). Why was this particular number chosen? Where did 420 come from and what does it stand for?
There are different theories about the origins of 420 but no one is completely certain which is true. Ever heard that 420 is the police code for possession? Or maybe it is the penal code for marijuana use? Well, both of these are lies. California Senate Bill 420 that refers to the use of medical marijuana was actually specifically designated for the code, not the other way around, meaning our governments are also linking the number 420 to marijuana use.
The informal holiday celebrating all things cannabis comes on Monday, as the nation's booming legal marijuana market boomed for economic losses from the coronovirus crisis, with many consumers going underground to cut spending or make deals.
It was supposed to be a long weekend of festivals and music that took place on April 20, or 4/20, code for marijuana's high holiday. Instead, orders to stay at home to curb the epidemic have been turned into an online replica.
Virtual parties and video chats are replacing huge outdoor smoking sessions to mark the rise of legalization and celebrate cannabis culture. The annual festival is thought to have its origins in a group of high school friends from Northern California who used the code for smoking pot in the early 1970s.
“Stay home,” the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, said bluntly. San Francisco Mayor London Breed threatened arrests: “We will not tolerate anyone coming to San Francisco for 4/20 this year."
For businesses, 4/20 is usually their once-a-year Black Friday, when sales soar. Instead, they are reporting up-and-down buying and pondering an uncertain future.
The epidemic means that the world economy may face its worst year since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In a sign of what's to come, US retail sales fell nearly 9% in March - a record. Millions of people are out of work.
For the holiday, "it's a pleasant feeling at this," said Pure CA CEO Jordan Lambs, who specializes in marijuana extracts and trades as Moxie brand products. Before the outbreak, "it was going to be the biggest 4/20 in history," Lams said.
Arizona-based Harvest Health and Recreation CEO Steve White said he wanted to see that consumers behave more than marijuana, such as beer or toilet paper, when money runs low.
When the economy stumbles, beer sales traditionally go up. With toilet paper, panic-buying can be empty shelves but people don't use it much. They just buy less later.
This will be a telling year, as no one in a relatively new industry knows whether sales will decline, remain flat, or grow.
"Do people buy less cannabis, or does it become more disruptive as part of their daily lives?" White said.
Market uncertainty is the latest challenge for an industry that has spread across all states in one form or the other.
The risks are seen in California, where businesses compete with heavy taxes, an illegal market that is still legally dwarfed and a tourism-dependent economy crippled by virus restrictions.Because cannabis is illegal at the federal level, most banks do not want to do business with pot companies and are not included in coronavirus rescue package that will help other businesses.
Before the virus, “we were already teetering on ... an edge of a cannabis collapse,” said Los Angeles dispensary owner Jarred Kiloh, who heads the United Cannabis Business Association. “It’s going to be very difficult for cannabis businesses to make it through this pandemic.”
Despite the introduction of stay-at-home orders in March, which halted the sale of marijuana; Some businesses reported single-day records as stock to customers. New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were among the cities that dispensaries labeled essential businesses that could remain open.
Despite the introduction of stay-at-home orders in March, which halted the sale of marijuana; Some businesses reported single-day records as stock to customers. New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles were among the cities that dispensaries labeled essential businesses that could remain open.
In Oregon, cannabis retailers saw a huge spike last month - a 30% increase in average sales per retailer compared to March 2019. The mid-month sales growth was even greater.However, peak levels have come down and customers are coming in less but buying more, said David Elport, who owns two Bridge City Collective Stores in Portland. He hired three more employees to handle home delivery.
In Illinois, the marijuana business Gov. J.B. May work under orders to stay at Pritzker's home. The companies made extensive changes that included sale-only and online orders.Mission Dispensary on Chicago's South Side saw an initial spike in purchases before the lockdown took effect, but it remains closed.
“We’ve never faced an economic downturn when cannabis was legal,” said Kris Krane, president of Mission dispensaries. “This is completely unprecedented.”
Some customers could be especially vulnerable during an economic downturn. Among cannabis users in states where its legal, 32% have incomes below $35,000 and only 54% have full-time employment, according to BDS Analytics. Anyone on a tight budget might be more apt to avoid taxes that go with legal purchases and buy from illicit market dealers.
Steve DeAngelo, co-founder of Harborsed Dispensaries in California, said it is difficult to predict how cannabis consumers will react to the deep economic downturn.
Nevertheless, he notes that the industry has been lasting for years through good and bad times, even when consumers had only one option - illegal purchases. He said consumers who consider marijuana a part of their routine will keep coming back.
But, for businesses, there will be a “sorting out,” DeAngelo said. Companies with strong brands and cash reserves are likely to fare better in a poor economy; those saddled with heavy debt who made too-rosy promises to investors will face challenges.
“There is not going to be an extinction moment,” DeAngelo said. “It’s going to prove more resilient than many, many other industries.”
