Know! What's New with 420
As parents and educators, when it comes to drug and alcohol messaging, it is important to take advantage of teachable moments with our youth. One of those ideal moments to strike up a conversation is just around the corner— April 20th.
You’re more than likely aware that 420 is slang for marijuana. You may also know that April 20th (4/20) is considered Worldwide Weed Day, where smokers light up around the globe respectively at 4:20 p.m.
The origin of 4/20 remains up for debate. One story says it started with five high school students from California who used to meet at a certain spot on school grounds each day at 4:20 p.m. to get high. When discussing plans to meet up or referencing marijuana, they used 420 as code.
That was the 70’s, when marijuana was without question illegal in the U.S. Fast-forward to now, and the legality of marijuana is all over the map, literally. Medical marijuana is now legal in 33 states, while full-out recreational use of marijuana is legal in nine states and Washington D.C.
More and more people now view marijuana as medicine and as a socially acceptable way to kick back and relax or rev up the fun. Because of this, our teens believe marijuana to be a safe alternative to the number one drug of choice among youth—alcohol. Though this statement is far from true, it is understandable. In our culture we have been taught to define impairment in physical ways. Basically, if someone isn’t stumbling and staggering then many people would consider them to not be impaired.
