Generally, April 20 of every year is just a regular day to most people, but to others it’s known as 420 and a celebration to embrace the symbolism of marijuana.

The term 420 originated in 1971 from a group of teenagers in San Rafael who would get together at 4:20 p.m. in hopes of finding a marijuana crop.  This term translated over the years as the representation of weed and is primarily used in the United States as a code name to smoke marijuana.

A 20-year-old female student at Bakersfield College who would like to remain anonymous shares her extensive experience with marijuana as well as the celebration of 420.

“I’ve been smoking weed since I was 13-years-old,” she said.  “I smoke marijuana to calm down my moods and enable myself to eat everyday, as well as ease my anxiety.”

She stresses that smoking weed and the basis of 420 is not about glorifying drug use, it’s about what marijuana symbolizes and how it affects people every day.

“The celebration of 420 is all about sharing with the world the calmness and peace that comes with smoking marijuana, along with the Rastafarian outlook of smoking marijuana,” she said.  “420 is a day to remind myself and my friends of the love and peace we need to share, and how the world should not be at war with themselves.”

She even says there are festivals made to celebrate marijuana where people get together to delight in the significance of weed, such as the annual 420 Fest.

“420 Fest is an electronic music event that involves the theme of 420 and Rasta everywhere and is located in Victorville, CA by Motive Events,” she said. “There are multiple stages that involve artists of various genres such as Dubstep and Electro.  There are also booths, games, rides and dispensaries for marijuana.”

This female student is very passionate about marijuana, what it stands for, and would really like to inform people who don’t know what 420 is, that it’s not about potheads getting together to just get high.

“The most important thing is that it’s not just about smoking weed,” she said. “It’s not about being high. It’s about actually giving praise to the plant and what the plant represents as well as the Rastafarian outlook of smoking marijuana.”