If you’ve spent any time around cannabis culture, you’ve heard the number. It shows up on clocks, in usernames, on bumper stickers, in store promotions — and once a year, it takes over an entire day.
But where did 4/20 actually come from? And why does it matter enough that dispensaries run their deepest deals of the year around it?
The answer is more interesting than most people expect.
The Real Origin Story (It’s Not What You’ve Heard)
A lot of myths float around about the number. Some claim it was a police code. Others point to a Bob Dylan song with a suspicious lyric count. A few trace it to a chemist’s famous work.
None of those are right.
The actual origin comes from a group of five high school students in San Rafael, California in 1971. They called themselves the Waldos — named after the wall they used to hang out near at San Rafael High School. The story goes that they got a tip about an abandoned cannabis crop near the Point Reyes Peninsula and agreed to meet at 4:20pm to go search for it.
They never found the crop. But they kept using “4:20” as shorthand for smoking sessions, and the phrase spread slowly through their social circle. One of the Waldos had a connection to the Grateful Dead, and the number hitched a ride with the band’s touring community. From there, it went nationwide — and eventually global.
High Times magazine picked it up in the early ’90s, published a 4/20 flyer, and helped cement April 20th as the unofficial cannabis holiday. By the time legalization started spreading across the US decades later, 4/20 was already deeply embedded in cannabis identity.
Why April 20th Feels Different
4/20 isn’t just a consumption event. For a lot of people in the cannabis community, it carries cultural weight — a recognition of how far the conversation has come.
Not long ago, cannabis use meant real legal risk in most of the country. April 20th was a day of quiet, semi-underground solidarity. People gathered knowing they were participating in something that wasn’t fully accepted yet.
In states like New Jersey, where adult-use cannabis has been legal since 2022, that weight hasn’t entirely disappeared — but it’s transformed. Now 4/20 is both a celebration and a marker of progress. A day when the community that spent years advocating for change gets to appreciate how different things look.
It’s also, practically speaking, the day dispensaries run their biggest cannabis deals of the year. And there’s nothing wrong with that being part of why you show up.
How 4/20 Is Celebrated Today
At Dispensaries
The 4/20 promotions you’ll see at licensed dispensaries are a direct expression of the holiday’s spirit. Stores lean into the number — you’ll see 42% off sales, BOGO deals, new product drops timed to the day, extended hours, and in some cases events and giveaways.
At NJ Pure in Edgewater Park, the 4/20 weekend includes 42% off the entire store across the weekend, followed by a full 24-hour opening on Sunday with everything at 50% off. The full breakdown of the 4/20 cannabis deals is on the sale page — including what’s covered, online ordering, and what to expect during the 24-hour event.
At Public Gatherings
Cannabis-friendly cities and states host festivals, concerts, and community events around 4/20. Denver, San Francisco, and other legalization leaders have held large public gatherings for years. In New Jersey, more local events have started appearing since the state opened its adult-use market.
The common thread is community. Even when an event is organized around consumption, 4/20 gatherings tend to feel more like celebrations — people who share a connection to the plant coming together to mark something that means something to them.
At Home
A lot of people celebrate 4/20 simply by using the dispensary deals window to stock up on products they love, try something new from a brand they’ve been curious about, or set up a comfortable evening with friends.
There’s no required ritual. The day works however it works for you.
4/20 and New Jersey’s Cannabis Story
New Jersey’s adult-use market is still young. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission issued the first adult-use recreational licenses in 2022, and the market has grown quickly — new dispensaries, new brands, and new products arriving regularly.
4/20 in New Jersey carries particular energy because the community here lived through a long period when cannabis access meant either the medical program or the risks of the unregulated market. The shift to a fully licensed, open adult-use market is recent, and for a lot of people, April 20th is the day that makes that shift feel real.
Burlington County has seen that shift firsthand. NJ Pure serves communities across Edgewater Park, Burlington, Willingboro, Florence, Delran, and beyond — and the 4/20 weekend is one of the most visible ways the store connects with what that access means.
The Number Lives On
What started as a coded meetup time for five teenagers in California is now one of the most recognizable reference points in the cannabis world. It’s been adopted by brands, celebrated by advocates, referenced by politicians, and printed on more merchandise than anyone could count.
More than anything, it’s become a shorthand for belonging — a signal that says something about who you are and what you value.
If you want to see what 4/20 looks like in Burlington County this year, NJ Pure’s weekend sale is a good place to start. Browse the 4/20 dispensary deals and see what’s on the menu — craft New Jersey flower, edibles, vapes, and concentrates, all at the deepest discounts of the year.
However you spend it — happy 4/20.
