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The ultimate 420 guide

Published on March 28, 2023 · Last updated April 15, 2025
  • What is 420?
  • 420 deals
  • 420 essentials 
  • 420 cannabis basics
  • How to smoke, vape, and eat cannabis on 420
  • 420 recipes
  • How to celebrate 420 responsibly
  • 420 entertainment
  • Read more on Leafly Learn
Large white text saying “Guide to 420” sits in the center of a vibrant green and blue cannabis leaf graphic with a retro digital texture.
Everything you need to 420 like a pro. (Leafly)

420 (aka 4:20, 4/20) is a cannabis culture idiom for ‘time to meet up and smoke weed.’  “420” started out as secret code in the prohibition-era 1970s in Northern California, but spread throughout the world in the subsequent decades. Today, 420 is a well-known signifier for marijuana culture, a time to light up each day (4:20 p.m.), and a major cannabis holiday of the year, April 20.

Got questions about 420? Leafly’s got answers. Learn about the history of 420, get tips on how to smoke and celebrate, and find the best 420 deals on cannabis, accessories, and more.

What is 420?

Bold black text reading “what is 420” is set over a beige background with a green, blue, and pink cannabis leaf radiating from the center-right.
(Illustration: Sasha Beck / Leafly)

Wondering why we celebrate 420? Although several theories have emerged over the years, most people trace the holiday’s origins to the California town of San Rafael.

In 1971, a group of five high school athletes caught word of a secret cannabis grow in the woods near their school. They gathered at 4:20pm daily to search for the mythical grow. Lamentably, they never found it, but 4:20 eventually morphed into a catch-all term for weed, and a code that it was time to smoke.

420 has a storied place in marijuana history. Learn all about the background and origins of 420 and how this date (and time) became ingrained as a calling card, a code word, and a cause for celebration in cannabis culture.

  • What’s the meaning of 420?
  • A chronic chronology of 420

420 deals

(Illustration: Sasha Beck / Leafly)

Retailers across the country offer great deals on 420 on cannabis and accessories. Whether you’re a seasoned smoker or dipping your toe in for the first time, you’ll find deep discounts on all sorts of products. And it’s not just cannabis that’s on sale—manufacturers of pipes, papers, vaporizers, and other accessories offer deals as well.

Shop weed deals near you

420 essentials 

The words “420 essentials” are displayed in bold black text, centered over a faded beige background with a multicolored cannabis leaf extending from the top right.
(Illustration: Sasha Beck / Leafly)

420 is a time for everyone who appreciates cannabis to celebrate and enjoy this special plant in all its forms. Whether you’re rolling a joint to enjoy on the porch or baking enough pot brownies to distribute to a group of friends, and whether you’re an old head or a fresh face to the cannabis community—whatever your chosen method of cannabis consumption during the month-long 420 celebration, Leafly is here to help you get the most out of it.

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You can get weed delivered in some areas. Check out the Leafly Delivery portal to shop, buy, and receive the best cannabis, edibles, and more at your door.

Here are some buyer’s guides:

  • America’s hottest cannabis strains of 420 2025
  • World’s best weed gear for 420 2025
  • America’s coolest carts and pods of 420 2025
  • America’s hottest weed strains of 420 2025
Buy weed on Leafly

420 cannabis basics

What do the indica, sativa, and hybrid mean? What does a gram of marijuana look like? How long does it take for cannabis to leave your system? Get grounded with foundational facts about cannabis by clicking on these articles that break down the basics:

  • Indica, sativa, and hybrid cannabis strains explained
  • The difference between CBD and THC strains
  • What a gram of marijuana looks like
  • Edibles dosage chart
  • How long does marijuana stay in your system?
  • Where is cannabis legal?
  • The origins of weed

How to smoke, vape, and eat cannabis on 420

Smoke it. Vape it, as either a flower or an oil. Eat it in a brownie, a cookie, or gummies. Put a little bit of a tincture under your tongue. There have never been more ways to consume cannabis than there are right now. But having so many options can make it hard to decide how to consume cannabis this 420.

Learn about the many ways you can enjoy marijuana and which one is right for you, and how to get the most out of it.

  • How to roll a joint this 420
  • How to roll the perfect 420 blunt
  • The best way to smoke a bowl on 420
  • How to safely dose marijuana edibles
  • How to dab marijuana this 420
  • Cannabis oil cartridges explained
  • CBD vape pens for 420
  • How to make a cannabis tincture for 420
  • How to use cannabis topicals

420 recipes

Check out some of our favorite base recipes to make your own cannabis-infused food to add a little touch of 420 to any dish. We’ve got such as cannabis-infused butter and cooking oil recipes, as well as classic marijuana-infused recipes like pot brownies, a staple of any self-respecting 420 celebration.

  • How to make edibles: Leafly’s guide to cooking with cannabis
  • Basic cannabutter for all your 420 recipes
  • Cannabis cooking oil for 420
  • Cannabis-infused coconut oil for 420
  • Best pot brownies for 420
  • Marijuana-infused gummy bears for 420
  • Make cannabis drinks at home for 420

How to celebrate 420 responsibly

how to help a friend who got too high
(Gillian Levine for Leafly)

420 celebrations can be a blast, but it’s important to keep in mind that you can get too much of a good thing. If you or a friend have overindulged in marijuana goodies, there are plenty of ways to bring an intense high back to earth, or shake off the cobwebs that can accompany the morning after taking a hit or two over the line.

Learn how to stay safe and comfortable while celebrating 420:

  • How to sober up if you get too high this 420
  • How to safely enjoy marijuana edibles
  • How to fix a weed hangover
  • How to get rid of the smell of weed

420 entertainment

Bold black text reading “420 entertainment” is centered over a stylized, bright green and blue cannabis leaf background with a digital paint effect.
(Illustration: Sasha Beck / Leafly)

April is a heavenly month for noobs and seasoned stoners alike to revel in the luxury of cannabis. Need some things to keep you busy? Give these a try!

  • America’s top cannabis events of 420 2025
  • Top 75 stoner movies
  • Make a weed salad
Buy weed on Leafly

Read more on Leafly Learn

  • Weed consumption methods
  • Cannabis glossary
  • Guide to growing marijuana 
  • The science of getting high
  • Legalization guide
  • Social justice
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