four-twenty

[Joseph Carson]

Greetings to all ADS-Listers,

This is a phrase that's used in the San Francisco neighborhood we all love
to Haight, indeed.  The derivation has puzzled me as well, but whatever it
means (or meant, since I'll bet it refers to a G. Dead song lyric or some
other classic beatnik or hippie era source,) in its original usage is
probably irrelevant to the purpose it's put to now ... tangential reference
is characteristic of the Deadhead mentality, and the shelled-out post-Flower
Power- and- Sid Vicious retreads roaming the Haight Street Corridor at will,
(or random, or both,) in search of dope (or legal medicinal substitutes such
as methadone,) could care less what the words mean, or where they came from,
as long as they get high ... what a place!  Give me the stinking gutters of
the Tenderloin anytime ... what? oh, why thank you! (re: best be careful
what you wish for) ... however, I wonder the same thing as Steve K., since
if nothing else, Deadheads sustain an oral tradition that's equal to
anything drug fiends in the Mission ever devised ... are there any Deadheads
in our house? - Livin' on reds, vitamin C and cocaine, still (barely)
truckin' on - Joseph C. ('60s anachronism)

"Steve K." wrote: "I didn't chime in earlier, because I figured someone else
would, but it's my understanding that there's also been a longstanding 4:20
tie-in to the Greatful Dead, as in the question "It's 4:19, do you have a
minute?" (a sentiment that has been since bumper-stickerized) as a way of
asking anyone if they had any pot to sell. (I mention the Greatful Dead,
because the bumper stickers I've seen like that were associated with the
Greatful Dead.) If there's a deadhead out there than can further enlighten
us with their connection to the phrase, please chime in!"