By Luke Sumpter

420 the movement started as a small-scale, grassroots effort, yet has quickly become a worldwide event, and today represents part of a billion-dollar industry. However, 420 means something different to everyone.

Some cannabis lovers view the day simply as a celebration of all things weed. It serves as an annual event to come together as a community, head to beautiful spots, and enjoy the herb together. This, after all, pays homage to the origins of 420—a simple time on the clock where smokers take a reprieve to socialise and blaze.

From these humble origins, 420 has rapidly evolved into a worldwide event, co-opted by many different groups for many different means. Cannabis activists use this day to push their agenda of mass legalization—and it shows!


Mathematicians say there's something interesting about every number. They can tell you facts intrinsic to the nature of any digit. This can be fascinating, depending on how good you are at maths and how high you are. The properties numbers exhibit in the laws of nature are just the beginning. Humans then assign certain associations to different numbers. The rule of thirds. Lucky seven. These get more specific depending on what culture you're exploring. Each has its own memes and symbolism surrounding a certain number. In the case of marijuana enthusiasts, 420 is that special number. But why that number? How did it, just, become a thing?

420 Sign

Urban Legends

Stories circulate about the origin of 420, quite possibly from newcomers trying to guess why it became synonymous with weed. Some of the explanations are pretty out there, so at the risk of reinforcing the Familiarity Backfire Effect[1], let's debunk some misconceptions surrounding 420. For example, 420 is not the number of cannabinoids in cannabis.

Given the connection people like Bob Marley had to marijuana, it's also a misconception that 4/20 (or April 20th) is a reference to the date he died or was born. Not true. Nor is this the case with other musicians lumped into this myth like Jimi Hendrix or Jim Morrison.

Another musical myth about 420 was that the Grateful Dead insisted on staying in hotel rooms with the number 420 on tour. While they are known to be keen supporters of cannabis, they were not quite that fastidious about it.

420 is not the police radio code for a marijuana offense in progress. Nor is it the number of any penal code relating to cannabis. As for any piece of cannabis legislation with the number 420, there has only been one, California Senate Bill 420. This was in 2003, however, long after the term's popularisation. And no one knows who got that number assigned to the bill.

The True Origin of 420

So, where did 420 actually come from? Many myths surround this tradition. Some theorise that it stands for a police codeword for a marijuana violation. Others claim that it refers to a meeting time for students to blaze after class. While valiant attempts to clarify the cryptic nature of 420 are widespread, no theory quite hit the mark.

Now, we have the truth regarding the origins of 420—it all boils down to a weed-themed version of The Goonies. Why are we so sure of its validity? Because the group of kids behind this number—now grown men—spilt the beans[2] to Forbes. It all started in San Rafael High School, California in 1971. Here, a group of kids who called themselves The Waldos caught wind of an abandoned growing operation.

A friend had brought them a hand-drawn map and a far-fetched tale about his older brother—a coast guard. After growing weed in a secluded coastal location, he and his colleagues gave up the grow in fear of being discovered. Naturally, the group of high school kids felt a sense of adventure and planned their departure.

The Waldos agreed to meet at the convenient time of 420 by a designated statue on campus. They piled into a car, sparked a few joints, and hit the road. They failed to encounter fields full of green on the first attempt, but continued the hunt for weeks on end.

While they never stumbled across the mythical growing operation, 420 quickly became part of their vernacular. They could suddenly use this codeword for weed in front of anyone without fear of detection, even parents, teachers, and cops. This code quickly spread to their younger brothers, other classes, other schools, and even other states.

Soon enough, 420 spread like wildfire throughout the whole United States. One of The Waldos, named Dave Reddix, eventually started working for The Grateful Dead behind the stage. He ended up smoking with a bunch of famous musicians and introduced them to the term 420. These events catapulted the code internationally.

Today, what started as a meeting time has become an international movement. As a date, 420 now serves as a day of unity, civil disobedience, and freedom across the world in the name of weed.

How 420 Shapes the World

Sound out co-workers and acquaintances on their familiarity with cannabis by idly saying, "It'll be 4:20 soon". People who enjoy weed end up discovering this magical number one way or another, so it does remain a handy code word.

Many online dating profiles now feature the phrase "420 friendly". When picking an international day to recognize the activism for cannabis legalization, the 20th of the fourth month seemed an ideal choice. April 20th sees events celebrating cannabis around the world. These range from festivals in accepting countries to protests in more prohibitive ones. See what events are happening near you. The day has become important to mark progress for cannabis acceptance around the world. You know what time to be there.

How 420 Is Evolving

Over the years, 420 has leapt from the personal to the political, with gigantic gatherings in hundreds of cities over the world. Cannabis activists have played a pivotal role in putting these events together, driving publicity and developing groups that add an element of protest to the movement.

Head to Hyde Park in London on 420, and you’ll see activists among the casual smokers celebrating. After lighting joints when the clock strikes that magical time, they often head to parliament to make sure their message gets heard.

While some users prefer to do nothing but smoke and relax on this special day, we owe a lot to these movements. These voices are the reason cannabis legalization continues to sweep the planet—one country and state at a time.

While most weed lovers welcome activists to the movement with open arms, the same group aren’t too keen on the massive corporate interest that has entered the cannabis arena by storm.

With the dawn of widespread legalization, large companies have jumped into action to exploit the industry for profits. Suddenly, 420 has been positioned squarely in mainstream culture. While it remains true to its roots in some circles, the three numbers have become a lucrative buzzword for dispensaries, large circulating magazines, and other companies.

The Future of 420

Rather than representing underground cannabis culture, 420 now mostly marks a day of discounts and deals. While many supporters of the movement oppose this material aspect of 420, it’s actually a double-edged sword.

Sure, big businesses are making big bucks, but the activism that catalysed legalization also gave rise to an entirely different type of marketplace: small-scale, local, and artisan businesses.

These companies represent the core values of 420. They pay homage to cannabis with carefully crafted products, incredible genetics, organic growing methods, and by fostering local communities.

Among a sea of corporate companies stand thousands of seed banks, dispensaries, and craft growers and breeders that put the herb before the money. Activism and the 420 movement paved the way for these businesses to succeed and grow under a legal model, and smokers can vote with their dollars on this special day to allow these companies to flourish against the corporate competition.

Whether old-school stoners like it or not, 420 will continue to morph and evolve. However, members of the movement needn’t take a backseat. The guiding force of the movement takes the form of money, but the community decides where that money goes.

How Covid Changed 420

Along with legalization, the COVID-19 pandemic also vastly changed the face of 420. For decades, 420 involved hundreds of thousands of weed lovers meeting up across the planet. In legal areas, massive groups of supporters smoke in public to demonstrate their rights. In illegal areas, people do the same in a massive act of civil disobedience, often overwhelming police through numbers in peaceful demonstrations.

The pandemic completely changed this dynamic. In 2020, 420 took a massive blow. Public parks, city squares, and beaches—usually filled with large groups and clouds of aromatic smoke—stood completely empty.

Instead, people were confined to their houses, apartments, and gardens all across the world to celebrate. Thankfully, as COVID eases its grip, 420 is set to explode back onto the scene. In 2021, events will begin to take place once more.

It’s as though the energy of last year has been stored up, pulling back the bowstring, ready to fire in 2021. Although many restrictions remain, 420 will have a different flavor this year. The event has always been about freedom, and now we’re emerging from lockdowns ready to savour that feeling more than ever before.

420 in Vancouver
2019's 420 festivities in Vancouver, one of the many around the world

The Future of 420

To predict the future of 420, we need to recognize its past. This legendary event all started with a group of friends that loved weed. Somehow, that small action has become a global event involving millions of people, thousands of businesses, and hundreds of activist groups.

Since the inception of 420, cannabis has become legal in a significant amount of countries, states, and cities—an outcome surely far exceeding the expectations of the founders. Although many other movements and individuals outside of 420 helped make this possible, 420 still acts as a huge driving force.

Now, cannabis is more accepted than ever. The taboo has faded. Prison sentences for possession are being expunged. Businesses are popping up all over the planet. It seems as though 420 has run its course, but, in reality, it’s only just beginning.

As more nations continue to accept cannabis, 420 will only grow stronger and more mainstream. The nostalgia of its inception will also remain, but we need to move with the times and accept that 420 is now more of an international vacation than a simple meeting time for a group of friends to smoke up—now it’s more like a group of nations!

Buy F1 Hybrids

420 at Royal Queen Seeds

At Royal Queen Seeds, we’ve supplied high-quality cannabis genetics to Europe and the UK for years. It brings us great joy that many of the flowers that go up in flames on this day come from our archive.

We’ve always remained true to our vision. We advocate for the complete legalization of cannabis, and we love to use 420 as an occasion to push this message. Just like any other vacation, we offer our customers discounts on this day to help them with the growing process. Check out our 420 offers, and vote with your dollars to help businesses that support the core value of 420 thrive.

External Resources:
  1. The Debunking Handbook Part 2: The Familiarity Backfire Effect https://skepticalscience.com
  2. Meet The Founding Fathers Of 420: The Waldos | Forbes - YouTube https://www.youtube.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

Cookies settings

We are requesting your permission to use your data for the reasons stated below:

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data from a particular website that get stored on a user’s computer while they’re surfing the internet. Cookies have several different functions. Some of them track browser activity that enables businesses to deliver targeted advertisements. Other cookies serve to remember user login details to different websites to make jumping on social media, or other sites, a more fluid process. Because each cookie has its own unique ID, these pieces of data allow website owners to measure the unique traffic coming into their site.

Why do we use cookies?

Cookies come in handy when you visit our website. They ensure you stay logged in, that you can shop safely, and that the items you add to your cart stay there before you make a purchase. But cookies also help us. The data they provide allow us to improve our website and enable us to present you with targeted advertisements that are compatible with your interests.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Functional cookies

Functional cookies help our website to function optimally and allow us to personalise certain features.

Preference cookies

Preference cookies allow us to remember information that influences the way our website looks, including your preferred language based on your region.

Analytical cookies

Analytical cookies give us insights into website traffic and customer behaviour, including how many people visit our site, how long they browse for, and which parts of our site they visit.

How can I disable or delete cookies?

Not a fan of cookies? No worries. You can disable them (with the exception of necessary cookies) in your browser settings. However, blocking cookies may impact your browsing experience and prevent you from enjoying all of the technical features of our site.

Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: