# What the deal with 4:20PM? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612 "2003-06-04T15:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RipRiley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@RipRiley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RipRiley)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/1 "2003-06-04T15:08:32Z")
Why is it that a group of smokers I work with have to take a smoke break 4:20PM? I ask and they just chuckle. Is this a local event or is this a part of a larger conspiracy? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/2 "2003-06-04T15:11:29Z")
Maybe that’s break time in thier department? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/3 "2003-06-04T15:14:32Z")
It’s the international time to get high on pot. I don’t know where it started, but EVERYONE who smokes pot seems to know about it. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/4 "2003-06-04T15:15:04Z")
I’m sure that [this](http://www.snopes.com/language/stories/420.htm) has something to do with it…😃 ---
**Author:** ![RipRiley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@RipRiley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RipRiley)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/5 "2003-06-04T15:22:57Z")
Ahh, I guess that’s why at 4:30 they de-twinkie the vending machine. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/6 "2003-06-04T15:30:06Z")
4:20 PM turns up in some weird places – I’m typing this on a Dell Inspiron 8000, and one of the settings screens for the Synaptics touchpad driver allows you to configure an icon for the Windows task bar (down by the time display). The sample task bars on this screen, of course, show 4:20 PM 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ebca7d/32.png) [@pung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pung)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/7 "2003-06-04T16:16:58Z")
[http://www.hightimes.com/htsite/lounge/content.php?page=lounge\_02080718&tpage=1&cmnt=](http://www.hightimes.com/htsite/lounge/content.php?page=lounge_02080718&tpage=1&cmnt=) An informative article. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/8 "2003-06-04T17:05:09Z")
All correct. Back in our college partying days this was always used for what has been said above. For some people, it has boiled down to nothing more that an in-joke or something similar. Since I don’t smoke weed, I just call it “Party Time” and crack myself a beer. ['Course, back in the afforementioned college days, everyone in the neighborhood would drop what they were doing to smoke up or start drinking at that very moment every day. Go figure. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Inoshiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a9adbd/32.png) [@Inoshiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inoshiro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/9 "2003-06-04T17:24:40Z")
Well isn’t 4:00pm supposed to be tea time in the UK? So the idea is to get wired on tea at 4 and then light up your weed at 4:20 to mellow out again right?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Deadly\_Nightlight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Deadly\_Nightlight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deadly_Nightlight)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/10 "2003-06-04T17:32:59Z")
Duuuuuuuuuuuude is it 4:20? whooooooooooooah I got the muuuunchies ---
**Author:** ![MegaDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/db5fbb/32.png) [@MegaDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaDave)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/11 "2003-06-04T18:39:49Z")
it isn’t 4:20 as in a particular time, it is 420. it comes from police code for someone caught smoking or carrying pot. It has over the years come to mean that it is time to get high. It also doesn’t have to be 4:20 PM, it can be AM or it can be april 20th (4/20 get it). ---
**Author:** ![Drew\_17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Drew\_17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drew_17)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/12 "2003-06-04T19:01:48Z")
Not true. It’s been debated heavily and the documentation always goes back to a gang of California students meeting up afterschool and developing their own catch-phrase. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/13 "2003-06-04T20:18:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 3waygeek \* > \*\*4:20 PM turns up in some weird places – I’m typing this on a Dell Inspiron 8000, and one of the settings screens for the Synaptics touchpad driver allows you to configure an icon for the Windows task bar (down by the time display). The sample task bars on this screen, of course, show 4:20 PM 🙂 \*\* I have to wonder if this was done on purpose. If nothing else it would be a good way to start an urban legend. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/14 "2003-06-04T20:55:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Drew 17 \* > \*\*Not true. It’s been debated heavily and the documentation always goes back to a gang of California students meeting up afterschool and developing their own catch-phrase. \*\* Exactly right, spend 20 minutes over at [hightimes.com](http://hightimes.com) and you’ll see it somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/15 "2003-06-04T21:07:43Z")
Hehehe - well I suppose someone named **Bongmaster** \*would \* know! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/16 "2003-06-04T21:58:29Z")
We have a local store called Mary Janez Novelties & they have 420 written in just about every wall but if you ask them what it means they can’t say. They even have a little sign that says that on the counter. ---
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/17 "2003-06-04T23:06:20Z")
One of the local headshops claims to have been established on 4/20 of some year that was waaay before I was born. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but this way they can hold a big sale before 4/20 to “celebrate their anniversary”. Heh. This year on 4/20 I was at the annual Bob Marley festival here in Austin, and lemme tell you it was craaaazy. So much that the cops in attendance were told not to even mess with anybody over pot possession, just to look for deals going on. The result was a massive crowd of young people passing bongs around on their picnic blankets and listening to the music as cops carefully stepped around them… good times. LC ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/18 "2003-06-05T00:43:12Z")
Dave’s not here, man… ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/19 "2003-06-05T01:27:43Z")
No, man. It’s me, Dave! ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612/20 "2003-06-05T01:46:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*We have a local store called Mary Janez Novelties & they have 420 written in just about every wall but if you ask them what it means they can’t say. They even have a little sign that says that on the counter. \*\* Headshops are bizarre like that in so many ways. Technically, they’re supposed to be selling devices for smoking legal plants, so talk of marijuana is strictly verboten. But then they sell all kinds of t-shirts and pipes emblazoned with pot leaves. One headshop I went to had a giant neon pot leaf in the window facing the street. They also sell things like expensive scales, cocaine spoons, and empty vials. And then there’s that evil word “bong.” Headshops don’t sell bongs. They sell waterpipes. Yes, they are exactly the same devices in every respect. Calling a waterpipe a bong in a headshop will get you a _stern_ lecture. Repeated offenses could get you thrown out of the store. I once watched a headshop clerk give a neophyte a long lecture whilst standing right next to a display of bumper stickers, one of which read “Saying Bong is NOT a Crime.” 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-deal-with-4-20pm/179612.md?page=2)