4 20
cannabis, or the act of using cannabis (marijuana)
What does 4 20 mean?
4 20 is a slang term with a range of meanings, all related to cannabis. It refers broadly to the consumption of cannabis, specifically to a quantity of the drug, and also to a time of day at which many people might choose to smoke cannabis, or a date on which its use is celebrated (the 20th of April). It has many variant spellings, including 4-20, 4:20, 420, four twenty, and four-twenty.
Example of 4 20
Calling all stoners: 4/20 is just around the corner. The unofficial marijuana holiday is April 20, and yes, it's on Easter Sunday.
— USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025Four twenty whatcha smokin?!
— bsky.app, 28 July 2025Made for a legendary 420 sesh. Just the two of us, rehashing that wild ass experience we just shared.
— Reddit, 20 Apr. 2021Dee died a month to the day before his 75th birthday. "He passed at 4:10 in the morning," Massey says. "And as much as he smoked cannabis? He could've waited 'til 4:20.”
— Arizona Republic, 17 Aug. 2025Weedstock fans will tumble down a 420-friendly rabbit hole with this year's "Alice in Wonderland" theme.
— The News Journal (Wilmington, DE), 12 Sept. 2025
Where does 4 20 come from?
4 20 is believed to have been coined in California in the early 1970s when a small group of high school students began using it in reference to the time of day at which they typically would gather to smoke marijuana.
How is 4 20 used?
4 20 is used with a degree of semantic flexibility. As noted above, it can refer to specific things (a quantity of cannabis), to broad things (cannabis culture itself), and to times of the day or year. It can also be used simply as an acknowledgement that cannabis is in some way part of a conversation.
