Over the years, stoners have come up with an array of origin stories for the legendary hippie holiday, April 20th, aka 420. Some have deliberated that this number derives directly from police officer radio codes, although over the years, many police departments have publicly denied this. Perhaps 420 derives from the Bob Dylan song, ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & #35’ (12 and 35 multiplied together equals 420), although… that seems like a stretch.
It wasn’t until a man named Steve decided to email a former reporter at the High Times magazine, all the way back in 1998, that the world heard the true origins of 420. Stressing to the writer that him and his friends would pass polygraph tests, and that they weren't looking for money - but for recognition for creating a stoner legacy, Steven Hager of the High Times Magazine decided to venture out to San Rafael, CA, to investigate their claims of being the originators of 420.
The original article featuring the Waldo friends, written by Steven Hager for High Times Magazine December 1998 issue
Ample evidence led the High Times writer to come to the conclusion that Steve and his group of friends - nicknamed ‘The Waldos’ - were the true originators of 420. The friend group led the writer on a tour of their hometown, stopping at locations that the friend group would normally meet up at back in the 1970s and 80s. A particular wall on the campus of San Rafael High School was the first location the group visited, a ritualistic daily meeting spot for the friend group that earned them the name ‘The Waldos’. Talking with Hager, the friends recalled back to the good old days where they’d “mock everyone… the greasers with the fast cars… the cheerleaders”. One day, the group of friends, sitting atop their wall on campus, were given a treasure map by another high school friend. This treasure map led to a “pot patch”, a small area growing marijuana.
Because school got out at exactly 3:10pm, and some of the Waldo kids had extracurricular after school activities, the group decided to meet at precisely 4:20pm in front of the school to embark on their journey to find the pot patch. The friend group ultimately adopted the meeting time of 4:20pm, regularly yelling out “420!” in the school hallways at each other. Although they never found the legendary pot patch, they did regularly get lost in the Point Reyes mountains, toking up amid beautiful views. The friend group also found lots of humor in being able to discuss getting high in front of their parents, oblivious to the fact.
But how did a phrase coined by high school students become so widespread? The Waldo friends explain they were huge fans of Grateful Dead, spreading the phrase 420 on several online ‘Deadhead’ forums. Almost four decades later, 420 is an internationally recognized stoner term - with many sparking up at 4:20 everyday, and events celebrating cannabis held around the world every single April 20th.
The group of friends, now older adults, have done series of interviews, and operate a website named https://420waldos.com/, showcasing evidence from the 70s and 80s including postcards and letters featuring the iconic 420 phrase