The 420 Club Member Patch is listed in the Saying Patches category, although it's not exactly a saying. The number 420 has become associated with smoking marijuana, and those who smoke often refer to themselves as being a member of the 420 club. But where did this saying come from?
There are a lot of different theories about where the phrase originated. Some connect it with Highway 420 in Ontario Canada. During the 1960s, a lot of marijuana actually grew along the highway. It wasn't called Highway 420 until 1972, however.
Another theory is that it's connected to the song Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 by Bob Dylan. If you multiply 12 and 35, you get 420. Another myth, the most common, says that 420 is the police radio code used in California to alert the police that someone is smoking marijuana in public. However, research into different police codes has proven this to be false. Then there's the myth that connects the 420 Club with April 20. There's not a lot that has to do with marijuana smoking and this date, though. Usually, people have some vague connection with 4/20 being Adolf Hitler's birthday.
So what's the truth? The most popular explanation for the 420 Club is that it originated at San Rafael High School in the early 1970's. A group of students called the Waldos used to meet after class to smoke pot. By the time they left their classrooms and reached the area around the statue of Louis Pasteur, their designated smoking spot, it was 4:20. They later started referring to ?420? as the time to smoke pot.
Are you a member of the 420 club? If so, you can attract other club members? attention with this patch!
