Exploring Truths and Myths surrounding \'4:20 Louis --- So Be
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Where is “there?” Who is Louis (pronounced Louie)? Is that 0420 hours? Is that 4:20 in the afternoon? When the phrase “4:20 Louis” was exchanged with friends at a high school in California, it had a special meaning, which grew to a global understanding and was used, eventually, as a code before becoming just an invitation.
In 1971, five San Rafael High School students were tired of Friday night football games and searching for a new adventure. They called themselves the “Waldos” for the wall located in the main courtyard in front of the cafeteria, where they often sat, just chilling. The five teens knew they needed a code because they did not want this activity to involve an outsider. For them, ”4:20 Louis” meant 20 minutes after four o’clock, the “Waldos” were to meet at Louis Pasteur’s statue and be ready to toke. This code — said “4-20” — is also written 4/20, four twenty, or 420 FRIENDLY. Fast-forward 52 years to April 20 (4/20). In those five decades since the words were first spoken, there has been much speculation on what they mean and from where the meaning and Exploring Truths and Myths surrounding ‘4:20 Louis — So Be There’ Written by Eric I. Mitchell Eric I. Mitchell, MD MA FACPE CPE is president and medical director of Hemp Commodity Industries, LLC. myths surrounding 420 arose. At one time, some believed 420 was a police code, alerting officers to illicit drug use. Not true! However, another myth had some truth to it; people believed 420 in the cannabis world was related to the perfect Hz — a frequency consistent with meditation. The perfect or most healthy Hz has been noted to be 432 Hz, and music has had a lot of give-and-take on which Hz is the best Hz for human existence. Some believe the number 420 refers to the anniversary of the deaths of Bob Marley or Jimi Hendrix; it does not. Neither died on April 20. The truth is since school let out at 3 p.m., meeting at 4:20 p.m. would allow enough time for athletes to practice and shower. Waldos would move through the school using the code to notify each other of the time and place to meet for their illicit activities — illegal because the 1970 Controlled Substance Act established a federal policy to regulate manufacturing, distributing, importing/exporting and use of regulated substances, making the boys criminals for partaking in a botanical far older than tobacco. Interestingly, Waldo family members had various connections to The Grateful Dead, and when interacting with the Waldos, band members picked up on the concept of 420; it went viral. Mind you, the word viral was not truly appreciated back then because there was no Internet. It took a lot longer to reach the magnitude of numbers the Internet can reach in minutes and hours versus the speed of gossip in 1971, when it would take months, weeks and sometimes years.
The basic message of 420 prevailed, never losing its code status, and still wrapped around the cannabis plant to this day. April 20 of each year is observed around the country and around the world as a time to gather together to celebrate cannabis. In places where it is illegal to sell, it is often given away on that day. Twitter, Snapchat and other Internet platforms now permit 420 messaging and are expected to allow users to display a 420 graphic on this year’s celebration, including 38 states plus Washington, DC with adult use and 20 states with medical programs for cannabis. Public opinion has shifted to support the legalization of cannabis. Also, a cannabis bill directing the Veterans Administration to study cannabis for the use in veterans came out of the Senate Committee February 16. Now we wait for Congress.
As a doctor participating in the cannabis program of Maine — dating back to 1999 — I began giving out certificates as a compassionate alternative program for traditional medicine. I could not write a prescription, but I could fill out a certificate validating the patient has met a malady listed as an exemption in the State of Maine. Each state had its list of maladies approved for a certificate acquisition. This nontraditional non-pharmaceutical medicine was better known as cannabis, weed, Mary Jane, pot and a variety of other slang names. The opioid epidemic compelled me, as a doctor, to study and understand why cannabis was a selective botanical that could alter narcotic use through the relief of pain, anxiety, depression and addiction. I had to take course after course and was faced with a given amount of skepticism if the subject matter was discussed outside of a seminar that was not 420-friendly! Serving as your bimonthly expert on cannabis, I continue to attend classes and seminars, participate in lectures and teach courses so I can develop a clear understanding of how to guide “Cannabis Connections” in Maine.
I went from an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist to a farmer, growing and processing hemp and formulating products I have trademarked as VitaminCBD™. Why? Because I believe the 140 cannabinoids in this hemp plant are truly a supplement artificially taken out of our agricultural ethos back in 1937, when it was a geopolitical fight of hemp vs. lumber. There is more to be done to unlock the scientific relevance of the cannabis sativa l botanical. From the dates mentioned above, we can see the train has left the station. We can see that soon we will be able to affix the word therapeutic to the communications starting to stream out in the medical literature. There is a lot more in store, and I will follow it for you to ensure you get your “Daily Dose of Wellness” to promote a healthy lifestyle —“So Be There.”
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