The story I was told when I managed the dodgy but interesting campus radio
station here at Brock, is that "420" was the LAPD "code" for posession.  It was
(so I was informed) coopted by the potheads--nothing like appropriation of
official language to subvert authority, I figure.  

One of our programs "The Bong Brothers" (no kidding) would, at 4:20, drop the
volume of the music, announce cryptically: "420", and then turn the particular
Grateful Dead or Phish tune they were playing back up.

As I was the manager and not a pot smoker, they were disappointed that I didn't
let them proceed to light up.

Dan Malleck


Quoting David Fahey <[log in to unmask]>:

> My undergraduate students say 420 is marijuana slang, originating in 
> California, that originally announced that a group would smoke a joint at 
> 4:20.  Anybody with clearer information?
>