It’s not an extreme bicycle trick, but 420 may leave you face flat on the ground.The blurriest day of the year, April 20 – also known as 4/20 and 4:20 – is the not-so-well-kept code for April 20, National Pot Smokers Day.
According to Steven Hager, editor of “High Times,” an online publication that speaks out to the stoner audience, the term 420 dates back to 1971, when a group of a dozen or so students at San Rafael High in San Rafael, Calif., would use it as shorthand for the time of day to meet up and smoke marijuana.
The term since has caught on like a gasoline firestorm. Method Man, from thevrap army Wu Tang Clan made a song strictly devoted to the day, entitled “4/20.”
April 20 might be a day when folks designate a time to smoke.
But for Campus Safety Services, it’s a day when 85 of its officers will be on duty and patrolling the campus for signs of drug use.
“We are being very observant of students’
behavior; this includes signs of blood shot eyes, nausea and staggering when walking,”
officer Marquis Robinson said. “Overall, we are looking at the well being of a person”
However, smoking students should not only be on the lookout for officers on Main Campus. “It will be more community police officers,” Philadelphia Police officer Derrick Taylor said. “Like undercover cops, bike units and beat officers. Foot beat is very crucial in trying to keep the students and the community safe and intact.”
Some common myths of 4/20 include that the date represents a police radio code for marijuana use. Another is that it pertains to the number of active ingredients in marijuana.
Many Temple students say they are unfamiliar with the day and don’t care to know about it. For many, April 20 is just one day closer to the end of a grueling semester.
Sophomore Jon Dimedio said he learned about the day in eighth grade, but said he hasn’t cared to follow up on it.
“I’ve seen people smoking weed on 4/20,” said Dimedio, a liberal arts major. “I haven’t seen anyone on Temple’s campus
smoking, just back home,” he added. “I don’t know, I don’t really hang out with too many smokers.”
Akia Jones can be reached at akia.jones@temple.edu.
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