Monday marks a marvelous day in cannabis culture. Stoners around the world are getting ready to celebrate their dearly beloved marijuana. Empire Smokes is beyond excited to celebrate 4/20 this year. We’re so excited that we’ve already started our 4/20 sale!
Yes, the sales, festivals, and smoking are all a lot of fun, but have you ever stopped to consider why 4/20? What’s the significance? What’s the reason behind it?
Today, we’ll explore why we celebrate on what seems like a random day in the middle of April. Trust me, it’s not as deep as you might think.
WHY 420?
If you think 420 has some deep, spiritual meaning, you’ve got it all wrong. If anything, the meaning behind it perfectly captures what smoking cannabis is really about: chilling out.
It all began in sunny California in 1971. At San Rafael High School, a group of friends who called themselves “the Waldos” would meet up regularly. One of their brothers had planted cannabis in the nearby woods. He gave the group directions to its location and allowed them to both smoke it and help with the harvest.
After classes and extracurricular activities were done for the day, the Waldos would meet at the school’s statue to smoke at a specific time. What time was it? You guessed it: 4:20 PM.
50 YEARS LATER
You might be wondering: how has 4/20 stuck around all these years? Honestly, it comes down to word of mouth. The term spread throughout San Rafael High School and gradually expanded across California. By 1990, 19 years later, another group of friends hosted a “420 party,” where people gathered to smoke on April 20 at 4:20 PM.
More than 50 years later, the celebration is still going strong. Six years after the Oakland “420 party,” California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana. (We can thank “the Waldos” for that!)
Now, in 2026, cannabis is legal for recreational use in 24 U.S. states and for medical use in 40. Pretty unbelievable!
HOW TO CELEBRATE
Now that you know the meaning behind the celebration, the only thing left to do is to celebrate! Empire Smokes has been around for nearly 10 years, so we know a thing or two about the festivities. To help you get started, we curated a list of ways to celebrate this year:
- Roll one up for “The Waldos!”
- Shop our 4/20 Sale!
- Chill at Home!
- Support Your Local Dispensary!
- Make Your Own Edibles/Cannabis Infused Food!
CANNABIS CULTURE
To celebrate 4/20, we wanted to celebrate by giving a shoutout to some of our favorite content creators! These five influencers each bring something new and exciting to the smoke sesh! Make sure to give them a follow and check out their content!
- Puffco, Unboxing, Giveaways
- Skits, Reviews, Dabbing Content
- Gym, Lifestyle, Unboxings
- Travel, Festivals, Skits
- Travel, Morning Routines, GRWM
