National Smoke Weed Day?

Today is April 20 or, in numerical form, 4/20. I have heard that this is unofficially National Smoke Weed Day. The reason: “420″ is a code-word for smoking marijuana, thus 4/20 would be the best day for inhaling an illegal substance. Wikipedia has some historical information on “420″:

Although many diverse theories exist to explain the origin of the term, one central root of the phrase stems from a group of teenagers at San Rafael High School in San Rafael, California in 1971; the teens would meet after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke cannabis at the Louis Pasteur statue. The term became part of their group’s salute, “420 Louis!”, and became popularized in the late 1980s by fans of The Grateful Dead. Many North American cannabis users continue to observe 4:20 as a time to smoke communally. By extension April 20 (”4/20″ in U.S. dating shorthand) has evolved into a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.

And here’s the charm to the Wikipedia entry:

In some locations this celebration coincides with Earth Week.

That speaks volumes!

There is some information posted here about marijuana. The web site provides a list of dangers which include:

• Impaired perception
• Diminished short-term memory
• Loss of concentration and coordination
• Impaired judgement
• Increased risk of accidents
• Loss of motivation
• Diminished inhibitions
• Increased heart rate
• Anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Damage to the respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems
• Increased risk of cancer
• Psychological dependency

The article also points out:

Although dangers exist for marijuana users of all ages, risk is greatest for the young. For them, the impact of marijuana on learning is critical, and pot often proves pivotal in the failure to master vital interpersonal coping skills or make appropriate life-style choices. Thus, marijuana can inhibit maturity.

So maybe the best thing to do on 4/20 is don’t smoke weed.