The Legend of 420

It all started by a wall outside San Rafael High School, where five friends, the Waldos, passed the time between classes and practice. One day in 1971, they were handed a hand-drawn treasure map by a local grower who had abandoned his hidden crop near the Point Reyes coast. It was the ultimate mission: find the lost patch.

They synchronized their watches and set a rendezvous. At exactly 4:20 pm, after the final whistle of sports practice, they would gather at the campus statue of Louis Pasteur. As they passed each other in the hallways during the day, they’d exchange a wink and a secret signal, "420-Louis" to confirm the plan was still on.

They spent weeks piling into a '66 Chevy Impala, windows rolled down, scanning the Northern California coastline for the green gold on that map. They never actually found the mythical crop, but they found something else entirely. The mission failed, but the code survived. "420" moved from a specific meeting time to a universal shorthand, a way to talk about their favorite pastime right under the noses of teachers and parents.

The secret might have stayed in San Rafael if it weren't for a twist of fate. One Waldo’s father managed real estate for the Grateful Dead, and another’s brother was close with bassist Phil Lesh. When Dave “Reddix” started working as a roadie for the band, the slang hitched a ride on the tour bus. It caught fire in the "Deadhead" community, eventually landing on a 1990 Oakland concert flyer that declared 4:20 pm the socially accepted hour of the day to gather.

When Steven Hager of High Times spotted one of those flyers, he began investigating the legend. By 1991, the magazine brought the term to the masses, and by 1998, they officially traced it back to the five guys at the wall. Today, Mark, Larry, Jeffrey, Dave, and Steve are the keepers of the vault, the original Waldos who turned a mission for treasure into a universal signal for plant lovers everywhere.

To us, the story is a reminder that this culture was built on the spirit of adventure. Long before it was an industry, it was a secret shared between friends, a way to find community in the shadows and open the doors of perception together. It’s about the people who stood up for the "Queen of Herbs" when she was still a whispered code and a hand-drawn map.

We’re honored to carry that torch and share this legacy with you. Whether you're searching for your own "lost crop" or just enjoying the ritual, remember: it all started with five friends, a Chevy Impala, and a clock striking twenty-past four.

Happy 420!

The Waldos: Mark, Larry, Jeffrey, Dave, and Steve. Image from The San Fransico Chronicle, published 4.20.2018