Friday, or ‘420,’ is pot’s high holiday, though illegal here
Friday is 4/20. If that’s nothing more to you than a date on the calendar, then move on along. There’s nothing to see here.
If, on the other hand, you have something planned for 4:20 p.m. Friday, you catch the drift. So will anyone else standing nearby.
Welcome to marijuana’s high holiday, so to speak. April 20, or 4/20, or 420, has become the unofficial day of recognition for pot. But how did that happen? How did the number 420 come to be associated with marijuana; which, by the way, is still illegal in Tennessee.
Possession of a half ounce or less is a misdemeanor that can bring a $250 fine and up to a year in jail. More than a half ounce, and it’s a felony that could result in significant fines and jail time.
The origins of 4/20 are lost in a smoky haze, but do a little internet research and a clear consensus emerges for the “The Waldos” as the most likely explanation; not a police code and not the number of a California penal code. The Waldos was the moniker for five high school buddies in San Rafael, California, in the early 1970s.
“We thought it was a joke then,” David Reddix, one of The Waldos who is now a filmmaker and retired CNN cameraman, told The Associated Press recently. “We still do.”
The story goes that Reddix and his four stoner buddies came into possession of a map that supposedly showed the location of a marijuana garden in the Point Reyes National Seashore nearby.
They never found the elusive garden, but “420” became the code word they would use at school for the time they would meet to continue searching. Eventually, it morphed into a code word for “let’s get high anywhere.”
Whatever the origin, what’s a local aficionado to do if he or she wants to celebrate legally Friday? It’ll require a lengthy road trip.
Colorado is the closest state that has legalized marijuana for recreational use. Other options are any state on the west coast: California, Oregon or Washington, as well as Nevada. Or, you can head northeast to Massachusetts or Maine. And there’s always Alaska. For medical purposes, a legal haven is as nearby as Arkansas or Louisiana, though not in a form that can be smoked in the latter state.
Getting back to Tennessee, as noted, any form of marijuana use here remains illegal. It can be either a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the quantity.
A bill allowing medical cannabis won House committee approval several weeks ago. Sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Crosby, the legislation would allow cannabis for about a dozen medical conditions.
Reps. Raumesh Akbari and Antonio Parkinson, both Memphis Democrats, supported the legislation in the House Criminal Justice Committee vote March 28. The committee advanced the bill by a 9-2 vote.
Law enforcement and health officials oppose the measure, however.
“Once you start down this slope,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Tracy Trott, “it is very difficult to stop the ball from rolling.”