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43-776: Founded in 1988 by High Times editor Steven Hager , the Cannabis Cup is usually held each November in Amsterdam . The first U.S. Cannabis Cup was held in 2010; High Times now holds Cannabis Cups in Northern and Southern California , Denver , Michigan , Seattle , and Oregon . The High Times Medical Cannabis Cup recognizes medical marijuana in states that have passed medical marijuana laws. The High Times Cannabis Cup also includes live music, educational seminars, and an expo for marijuana-related products from cannabis-oriented businesses. A DVD called High Times Presents: The Cannabis Cup

86-534: A friend from high school, Jim Wilson, to become a columnist for High Times . Wilson became known as Chef Ra and contributed a cooking-with-pot article in every issue of the magazine for 15 years. Chef Ra was also a member of the High Times Freedom Fighters and became the featured speaker at many of the rallies. In 1990, Hager became the first person outside Marin County, California to promote 420 ; as

129-503: A result, subsequent Freedom Fighter councils, Cannabis Cup ceremonies, and Whee! festivals were always scheduled for 4:20 PM. In September 1991, Hager wrote an article in High Times titled "Heritage of Stone," a comprehensive analysis of the assassination of John F. Kennedy that has been widely circulated on the Internet as a definitive article on the subject. The article indicated Kennedy

172-563: A student in junior high, he established his first publication, the Cap'n Crunch Courier , a humor xerox zine that was given away free. Two years later, while a student at Urbana High School , he created The Tin Whistle , a monthly newspaper that was eventually distributed in four high schools in Central Illinois . Hager briefly visited Haight-Ashbury in 1968, and the following year he attended

215-464: Is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption , especially smoking around the time 4:20 p.m. (16:20). It also refers to cannabis -oriented celebrations that take place annually on April 20 (4/20 in U.S. date form). Five high school students in San Rafael, California , coined the term as part of their 1971 search for an abandoned cannabis crop, based on a treasure map made by

258-948: Is produced only in the Netherlands). A team of VIP judges decides which seed company has grown the Best Indica , Best Sativa , and Best Hybrid Strain, and which company has produced the Best Nederhash and Best Imported Hash. The U.S. Cannabis Cup recognizes marijuana in states that have passed laws that legalize marijuana for adult, recreational use. Teams of expert judges vote on Best Indica , Best Sativa , Best Hybrid, Best Concentrates, Best Edibles , and Highest Level of CBD in cannabis products (All cannabis products are tested for THC content and CBD content by independent cannabis-testing laboratories). At each U.S. Cannabis Cup expo, festival attendees vote for Best Booth, Best Products, and Best Glass. The Counterculture Hall of Fame celebrates

301-460: The COVID-19 pandemic , Hager created a podcast titled Everything You Know is Twisted . On April 19, 2024, Hager released an expose on Youtube titled: Origins of High Times magazine. The film accuses the lawyer Micheal Kennedy of stealing the magazine from the employees. 420 (cannabis culture) This is an accepted version of this page 420 , 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty )

344-685: The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and began concentrating on creating events that advocated the environmental benefits of hemp while also demonstrating the spiritual uses of cannabis . The World Hemp Expo Extravaganja, or WHEE! Festivals, were held in Oregon , Washington , Michigan , New York , and Ohio . Unfortunately, most of the promoters who held Whee! festivals found themselves subject to intense law enforcement efforts to shut down their venues. The primary focus of Whee!

387-710: The South Bronx . His first article on this subculture was published in 1982 on the cover of the Village Voice , and was the first time the words "hip hop" appeared in a major publication. Hager based his article on interviews with Afrika Bambaataa , founder of the Universal Zulu Nation , and one of the three original hip hop DJs (the others being Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash ). Not too long afterward, Hager sold his original story, "The Perfect Beat," to Harry Belafonte , who took some elements from it, including

430-702: The United States . One rally, The Boston Freedom Rally, quickly became the largest political event in the country, drawing an audience of over 100,000 to the Boston Common . Hager created a garage rock revival band called the Soul Assassins. The band played many of the hemp rallies. Their biggest show was opening for the Butthole Surfers in front of 50,000 people in Washington, DC . As editor, Hager brought on

473-631: The University of Otago . In Ljubljana , Slovenia , the University of Ljubljana's student organization has carried out several annual cannabis-themed protests that have contributed to the debate on cannabis status in Slovenia and the subsequent legislation proposals in 2018 by gathering responses from various political parties in Slovenia and ranking them accordingly. In Northern Cyprus , known for strict drug laws and intolerance to cannabis consumption,

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516-492: The 2013 film 420: The Documentary and provides the history of the phrase and its ceremonial use, as well as his role in spreading awareness on the spiritual aspects of cannabis. On April 19, 2021, Hager released his first film in 13 years, Green Easter . In December, 2023, Hager announced the creation of a peace sanctuary and festival site to be created in the Catskills. The opening ceremonies, titled "Camp Fun," will be held on

559-539: The Australian Cannabis Cup fosters community and camaraderie among cannabis enthusiasts and positively impacts the local Nimbin community. The event operates in a legal landscape where recreational cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in Australia. Nevertheless, changing attitudes toward cannabis legislation and the growing medicinal cannabis industry have influenced the event's reception and its role in

602-516: The Great Gardener - CBD Rene The Australian Cannabis Cup is an annual cannabis competition held in Nimbin, New South Wales, Australia . It has been celebrated since before 1995 and is known for recognizing excellence in cannabis produce. The event features judges from around Australia who sample and vote for their favourite cannabis varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the overall winner in

645-583: The Summer Solstice 2024 and co-hosted by Patti Astor . The event has a Facebook page and GoFundMe. In 2014 Hager created Abakus Media in Denver , published the ebook Cannabis Cures Cancer? , and founded the religious organization the Pot Illuminati. His essay "The New Pot Enlightenment" was included in the 2016 book Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorer's Guide to an Ancient Plant Spirit Ally . During

688-605: The Waldos appeared in December 1998. Hager attributed the early spread of the phrase to Grateful Dead followers —after "Waldo" Reddix became a roadie for the Grateful Dead bassist, Phil Lesh —and called for 4:20 p.m. to be the socially accepted time of the day to consume cannabis. Another San Rafael group claims to have originated the term before the Waldos. April 20 has become an international counterculture holiday based on

731-635: The auction closed was over $ 6,500 for "ISIT420". Following the success of Washington, D.C.'s Initiative 71 to legalize cannabis in 2014, Mayor Muriel Bowser granted license plate number 420 to the campaign's leader, Adam Eidinger . Several books about cannabis have "420" in the title, including the cannabis cookbooks The 420 Cannabis Cookbook , published by Simon & Schuster , and The 420 Gourmet published in 2016 by HarperCollins . Some American restaurants offer "420" themed promotions to coincide with April 20. Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted in 2018 about taking his company private at $ 420

774-481: The broader discourse on cannabis in Australia . Steven Hager Steven Hager (born May 25, 1951, Illinois) is an American writer, journalist, filmmaker, and counterculture and cannabis rights activist . He is known for his long association with High Times magazine. Hager was born on May 25, 1951, in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois , the son of Lowell P. Hager and Frances Faye Erea Hager. While

817-460: The cannabis variety competition and in the best wax , dabs and rosin categories. The Australian Cannabis Cup gained national attention in 1995 when it was featured in a documentary by 60 Minutes. Over the years, the event has evolved, with a focus on two primary categories: buds/flowers and extracts like oils and hash. In recent years, Alec ‘Craze’ Zammitt and Will Stolk, members of the 420 cannabis protest group 'Who Are We Hurting?,' have documented

860-503: The celebration and consumption of cannabis. Events typically advocate for cannabis liberalization and legalization . Vivian McPeak , a founder of Seattle's Hempfest , states that 4/20 is "half celebration and half call to action". Paul Birch calls it a global movement and suggests that one cannot stop events like these. Many marijuana users protest in civil disobedience by gathering in public to smoke at 4:20 p.m. As marijuana continues to be decriminalized and legalized around

903-465: The chapter "Nomenclature of an Octopus Cabal" theorizes that a network of secret societies manufactures war for profit and social control. By 2005, Hager was rehired at High Times , first as the creative director , and then in 2006, back in the position of editor-in-chief, but by 2009 had returned to the role of creative director. He was again let go by the magazine in 2013, eventually suing High Times for defrauding him of his ownership shares in

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946-469: The company. Hager learned to shoot and edit video, and started documenting all research on videotape. He has produced several feature documentaries, including Let Freedom Ring , Secrets of the Dutch Grow Masters , The Cannabis Cup , Saint Stephen , The Tom Forcade Story , and The 20th Cannabis Cup , assembling one of the world's largest archives of cannabis-related video. In 2002 he directed

989-512: The crop, the group eventually shortened their phrase to "4:20", which ultimately evolved into a code-word the teens used to refer to consuming cannabis. Steven Hager of High Times popularized the story of the Waldos. The first High Times mention of 4:20 smoking and a 4/20 holiday appeared in May 1991 and erroneously attributed the origin of the term to a police code; this and other spurious incorrect origin stories became common. The connection to

1032-534: The event through video coverage. Award categories include Best Flower, Wax or Dab, Best Hash , (hashish that is produced only in Australia). A team of  judges decides which grower  has grown the Best Indica , Best Sativa , and Best Hash. The U.S. Cannabis Cup recognizes marijuana in states that have passed laws that legalize marijuana for adult, recreational use. Teams of expert judges vote on Best Indica , Best Sativa , Best Hybrid, While in Australia

1075-577: The evidence did not support such claims. In the US, signs bearing the number 420 have been frequently stolen. In Colorado, the Colorado Department of Transportation replaced the Mile Marker 420 sign on I-70 east of Denver with one reading 419.99 in an attempt to stop the thievery. The Colorado DOT usually will not replace signs that are repeatedly taken, but began the practice of replacing further down

1118-577: The first Woodstock festival. He obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater (Playwriting), and a Masters of Science in Journalism , both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . After graduation, Hager moved to New York City , and worked for a number of magazines before becoming a reporter for the New York Daily News . During this time, he began researching the hip-hop movement of

1161-444: The first 420 event was held in the capital city Lefkoşa in 2015. On April 20, 2017, a small group of protesters carried out an event near the parliament building and made a public statement, demanding the legalization of cannabis sale, consumption, and production with state regulations. Despite two studies reporting a supposed increase in the risk of fatal motor vehicle crashes on April 20, further investigation and analysis found

1204-509: The grower. Calling themselves the Waldos, because their typical hang-out spot "was a wall outside the school", the five students—Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich —designated the Louis Pasteur statue on the grounds of San Rafael High School as their meeting place, and 4:20 p.m. as their meeting time. The Waldos referred to this plan with the phrase "4:20 Louis". After several failed attempts to find

1247-494: The history of the counterculture and the people who helped shape it. Previous inductees include Bob Marley (1997), Louis Armstrong (1998), William S. Burroughs , Allen Ginsberg , and Jack Kerouac (1999), Bob Dylan (2002), Jack Herer (2003), Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin (2007), Peter Tosh (2008) Tom Forcade (2009) and Coke La Rock (2010). John Griggs, BEL (2011), Steven Hager (2012), Ben Dronkers (2013), and Alexander Shulgin & Ann Shulgin (2014). House of

1290-406: The illegality of Cannabis has made the Cannabis Cup more of an underground hush ,hush affair for members of the tight nit cannabis community. This event has played a significant role in showcasing and pushing for change within the cannabis community in Australia and raising awareness about medicinal cannabis, which began being prescribed en masse to the public in 2018. More than just a competition,

1333-630: The magazine, and instead concentrating on advocating for the personal cultivation of cannabis . Hager became the first editor to publish and promote the work of hemp activist Jack Herer . Under Hager's leadership, High Times created the Cannabis Cup , a cannabis awards ceremony held every Thanksgiving in Amsterdam ; and The High Times Freedom Fighters, the first hemp legalization group. The High Times Freedom Fighters were famous for dressing up in Colonial outfits and organizing hemp rallies across

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1376-653: The much-quoted Basquiat interview, was reprinted in Hager's 2002 book Adventures in the Counterculture , as well as his 2005 book The Octopus Conspiracy and Other Vignettes of the Counterculture: From Hippies to High Times to Hip-Hop and Beyond .) In 1988, Hager began a long relationship with High Times magazine, as he was hired as the magazine's editor-in-chief. He is most well-known for removing positive coverage of hard drugs (e.g., cocaine and heroin ) from

1419-439: The remaining one being subsequently stolen. According to The Washington Post , there are eleven 420 mile markers in the US, after three replacements and one stolen and not replaced. In Goodhue County, Minnesota , officials have changed "420 St" street signs to "42x St". The mile marker 420 sign on U.S. Route 89 , the only 420 marker in the state of Utah , is frequently stolen. In 2003, California Senate Bill 420

1462-410: The road after " 69 " mile marker signs were frequently stolen—these were replaced with "68.5 mile" ones. The Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD) replaced the mile marker 420 sign on U.S. Highway 95 , just south of Coeur d'Alene , with mile marker 419.9. The Washington State Department of Transportation implemented similar measures, but only replaced one of the two 420 signs in the state, with

1505-581: The subject and some of the characters' names, to produce the film Beat Street , released by Orion Pictures in 1984. In 1984, St. Martin's Press released Hager's groundbreaking book, Hip Hop: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Graffiti . Hager followed that book in 1986 with Art After Midnight , an examination of the New York nightclub scene and its influence on artists, primarily Jean-Michel Basquiat , Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf . (The entire text of Art After Midnight , including

1548-570: The video shoot that was later released as Live in Amsterdam . In 2004, he wrote most of the narration for a/k/a Tommy Chong , and also appears in the film. Hager appeared in Episode #12 ("Pittsburgh") of the Showtime series Weeds , playing himself at an event modeled on the Cannabis Cup. In 2007, he produced a reality television show based around his job at High Times magazine. Hager appears in

1591-650: The world, cannabis activist Steve DeAngelo notes that "even if our activist work were complete, 420 morphs from a statement of conscience to a celebration of acceptance, a celebration of victory, a celebration of our amazing connection with this plant" which "will always be worthy of celebration". North American observances have been held at many locations, including: Australian observances have been held at many locations, over many years, including: Events have also been held in Hyde Park in London and Dunedin , New Zealand, at

1634-438: Was a silent, Sunday, sunset meditation for peace in the war on drugs . During this period, Hager was contacted by the Waldos, the inventors of 420, and became the first person to interview them. Hager was fired as High Times editor-in-chief in 2003. His 2004 book, The Octopus Conspiracy and Other Vignettes of the Counterculture: From Hippies to High Times to Hip-Hop and Beyond , compiles some of his previously published work;

1677-574: Was introduced into the 116th Congress by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), named the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which is designed to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and return regulation to the states. The State of Colorado auctioned off several cannabis-themed personalized license plates in 2021, with the bidding to be closed on April 20 (4/20). The highest bid shortly before

1720-627: Was introduced to regulate medical marijuana use. An unsuccessful 2010 bill to legalize cannabis in Guam was called Bill 420. A North Dakota bill to legalize cannabis was HB 1420, introduced in January 2021. The Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act (which if enacted would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis in the United States) was announced by Senator and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) on April 20, 2018. On January 9, 2019, H.R. 420

1763-592: Was likely murdered because of his growing opposition to the Vietnam War , and implicated J. Edgar Hoover and Allen Dulles in the cover-up. Judge Jim Garrison cited it as "the best magazine article ever written on the subject." Hager created the Counterculture Hall of Fame in 1997 as part of the Cannabis Cup ceremonies. In the mid-1990s, Hager turned the membership list of the Freedom Fighters over to

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1806-849: Was made after the 2003 festival. The 20th High Times Cannabis Cup, held in 2007, featured hosts Tommy Chong and Redman ; a film of the 2007 festival was released in the summer of 2008. In 2010, Dutch police raided the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup location. That same year, High Times mounted its first Cannabis Cup in the United States , also inaugurating the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup , an annual event celebrating medical cannabis . The first Medical Cannabis Cup took place in San Francisco, California, on June 19–20, 2010. In 2014, after 27 years, Amsterdam held what appeared to be its final High Times Cannabis Cup. This decision

1849-644: Was partly due to the growing uncertainty about Dutch cannabis laws, the newly available legal cannabis locations in the United States and various other countries, and the after-effects of the 2010 raid. (The Cannabis Cup later returned to Amsterdam.) In 2017, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the award show hosted by Danny Danko . In 2018, the festival was held in the middle of summer, on 13th to 15 July, veering away from its usual schedule. Award categories include Best New Product, Best Booth, Best Glass , Best Hash , and Best Nederhash (hashish that

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