#bob dylan's rainy day women. lyrics “everybody must get stoned”

[aurlthatyoufindfunny]

You know that those are the only three songs in the playlist because on SpotifyTM, if there are less than four songs on a playlist than only the first album art will be displayed on the playlist's graphic.

[jacke-12]

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (1966) - Bob Dylan

Genre: blues rock, folk rock, brass band

Peak position on US Billboard Hot 100: 2

Bob Dylan released this track to (surprising) huge chart success, and huge controversy due to the "everybody must get stoned" chorus getting it labelled a drug song, which he would adamently deny. It is perhaps a relatively inconsequential Dylan song to pick when he has much more important and thought-provoking tracks elsewhere in his discography - I am certain he is being deliberately obtuse lyrically here - but this is maybe his most fun.

It is unusual for Dylan in that he is combining his folk rock style with a brass band, who sound like they've had a few drinks before hand. It is rowdy and messy, with shouts mid-song and Dylan laughing in the middle of a line. I do think this is an overused comment on rock music, but it really does sound like a live performance, and as though they are really enjoying it too. Because of this maybe, it isn't held in such high regard as the more serious tracks on Blonde On Blonde, and I see why: you could analyse a song like "Visions of Johanna" for years (as it has been) and still find something new to say about it. This isn't true of "Rainy Day Women", but I come back to it so much more frequently. It is just such a rollicking track, not taking itself seriously whatsoever.

I think my love of this track is helped by how good it is to sing along to. The way his voice lurches from note to note and his very particular inflections must make it unlistenable for some, but it has so much character, and imitating it is extremely enjoyable. I would say he is easily one of the best vocalists of all time, not technically of course, but in his expressive ability. He can sound cynical like no other, but here he sounds playful, yet also defiant; he is making the music he wants to make and revelling in it. To open an album with a song like this showed a healthy disregard for people's expectations of him, something that had affected him before, what with being called "Judas" for turning rock (which he references here).

Now I love his folk music, but he never made a song as fun as this in that era. The controversy seems very silly in retrospect; it is clearly no more than a play on the two potential meanings of someone being "stoned". But he must have known that it would be controversial, and I admire him for following through with it anyway.

[bobdylanrevisited]

Blonde On Blonde

Released: 20 June 1966

Rating: 10/10

The finale of the electric trilogy, another masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of Dylan’s singing and penmanship. He described this album as the closest he’s ever gotten to the noises in his head, a thin mercury sound, metallic and bright gold. It was also the first double sided rock album, and his first without an acoustic track, with Dylan continuing to blaze a trail in popular music. Although this album may not be as ‘deep’ as its predecessors, it’s still a thrilling musical adventure that again makes you forget his folk origins, and embrace his role as the leader of a new style of ‘pop’ song. 

1) Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35 - The look on people’s faces when the album opened with this must have been one to behold, it sounds nothing like the Bob we know and love. It’s more like a Mardi Gras parade, with trumpets blaring and the band’s joyous screams, all revolving around a pun on the word ‘stoned’. It’s a brilliant opener, both upbeat, funny, and unlike anything that came before it. Whether the song refers to weed, hedonism, his pious status, or the ancient punishment, it’s hard to argue that ‘everybody must get stoned’. 

2) Pledging My Time - A severe change of gear for this track, a much slower blues number, which reworks a number of older blues lyrics, to describe the promise to a lover in the hopes that they will reciprocate the feeling. It’s a fine song, though it does get somewhat lost on the album due to the longevity many of the other tracks have endured. 

3) Visions Of Johanna - Generally agreed to be one of the finest songs ever written, it’s no wonder this has remained one of Dylan’s favourites ever since. It’s a colossal piece, proving that no matter what instruments are on the track, the writing is still the soul of what Dylan is doing. Not only are the vocals among the best he’s ever recorded, the song weaves a vivid picture of his strive for perfection. Much like the previous two albums, Bob uses metaphor and surreal imagery to express personal emotion and you can’t help but hang on his every word. You are transported into a dreamlike state, also searching for Johanna and your own personal idea of flawlessness, though for me that may very well just be this song. 

4) One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) - A song about the ending of a relationship, which should be a bleak affair, but I can’t help but singalong and grin as I listen to this brilliant tune. Although it dissects and defends bad behaviours that caused the couple to sour, the instrumentation and the rousing chorus are a joy to hear, and it’s easily one of my favourite tracks on the album. 

5) I Want You - At odds with the previous track, this a sweet love song, once again populated my characters and imagery that only Dylan could conjure up. Much like the rest of the album, the tune and melody of this song are remarkably beautiful, and this is certainly Dylan’s most musically ambitious, yet accessible album so far, with this track being another highlight. The song has also been reworked a lot live, and sounds just as beautiful as a ballad, which Dylan played a lot in the late 80s/early 90s. 

6) Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again - I think this may be my favourite song on the album, with apologies to Johanna. Whilst it’s simply just another surreal story with a mad cast of people, I absolutely adore it. Again, the tune is catchy and fun, the singing is perfect, and the whole thing comes together to be a track that fills me with indescribable happiness. The live Hard Rain 1976 version is also phenomenal, it’s impossible for this song to sound anything other than amazing. 

7) Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat - A satire on fashion, and a lover continuing to wear her new hat in increasingly compromising situations, this is another blues song with a great guitar arrangement and sounded brilliant on the 1966 Live tour. It’s not one of my favourites on the album, but it’s a good song that talks of jealousy and materialism, with the bluesy sound being the main attraction. 

8) Just Like A Woman - Potentially written about Edie Sedgwick, this sounds like one of Dylan’s tenderest songs, but the lyrics are actually full of vulnerability and regret. One of Bob’s most popular songs, possibly due to the gentle tune and the grounded imagery, I’ve personally always found it a tiny bit overrated in comparison with the rest of the album, though I understand it is an easy introduction to Dylan for the average listener. However, I will admit that the song is spellbinding when performed live, particularly on the 1966 tour. 

9) Most Likely You Go Your Way And I’ll Go Mine - A very literal tale of a breakup, this is again another song that feels joyous despite the content. The guitars and drums add a very fun layer to the tune, and it’s another track that hasn’t got a deep message, but is just a brilliantly sung rock song that helps make this album the most musically enjoyable yet. 

10) Temporary Like Achilles - Another blues number about a breakup and a new lover. There’s not much to write about this one, other than it’s again a fun tune, this time revolving around a double entendre: ‘honey, why are you so hard?’

11) Absolutely Sweet Marie - This is another catchy tune, and whilst it’s still influenced by the blues, it is more upbeat. Much like the previous track it’s full of innuendo, but it sounds like a ‘pop’ song that you may hear on the radio, with a more restrained style of singing from Bob. It’s another fine song which would be considered more a filler track, if not for the line ‘to live outside the law you must be honest’, which is one of his most quoted lyrics. It shows that even when he’s not telling a mad story or protesting injustice, he’s still the world’s best songwriter and can toss legendary lines into a largely throwaway song. 

12) Fourth Time Around - Written as a response to The Beatles ‘Norwegian Wood’, Dylan uses this dark tale of a lover’s fight to take aim at John Lennon’s ‘new’ style of writing, that sounded an awful lot like it had been stolen from Bob. Musically, it is the same as ‘Norwegian Wood’, with the last line warning ‘I never asked for your crutch, now don’t ask for mine’. Basically, Bob’s telling John not to take his style, whilst also perfectly showing the world that he’s still the best at storytelling and his brand of unique phrasing. This song would haunt John Lennon for some time, as he was paranoid about Dylan’s feelings towards him, but in the end Lennon went in a new direction and Bob remained friends with The Beatles, so any beef seem to be short lived.

13) Obviously Five Believers - Much like previous tracks, another bluesy tune with lyrics about a relationship and wild backing musicians, this is a good little song to dance and singalong with. Robbie Robertson’s guitar playing is particularly impressive on this track, and his playing throughout the whole album is one of the highlights. 

14) Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands - Bob had married Sara Lownds three months earlier, and this 11 minute poem of love, beauty, strength, and heavenly romance is an incredible tribute to her. Though much of the album is filled with sombre lyrics about relationships ending and striving for a perfect woman, the closing track is all about how Bob has found what he has been searching for. It’s a gorgeous song that is not only some of his most heartfelt writing, it’s a uncompromising wedding vow that is full of genuine emotion and is brimming with positivity, something Dylan doesn’t often write about. It’s an incredible conclusion to the album, and to this period of his career. 

Verdict: Once again, my hyperbolic words can’t do this album or career period justice, for a 25 year old to release three culture changing masterpieces in the space of 15 months is unfathomable. Whilst it could seem somewhat ‘sell out’ with the more radio friendly songs, the whole album is just a thrillingly perfect journey through Dylan’s emotions and experiences, relationships ending, searching for meaning, and finally finding happiness. This album once again includes some of the best songs and singing of his entire career, and the overall sound throughout the record is much more mature and composed. Even the tracks that seem a little more filler are still brilliantly written songs that eclipsed the popular music that was being released at the time. The album is my (joint) second favourite thing he’s ever released, and sadly it would be the last of this particular ‘Bob Dylan’, as he was once again about to cocoon and re-emerge a new man. Following a motorcycle accident in 1966, and his settling down with his new wife and children, the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle was about to be abandoned for a more mellow, more relaxed, and more ‘country’ sound. 

[driftawayonceaday]

Rainy Day Women #12 & #35

April 6th

“Rainy Day Women #12 & #35” was the first Bob Dylan song I remember taking a liking to.  After all, what teenage boy growing up in the 1970s wouldn’t love a song that features the line “everybody must get stoned”? “Rainy Day Women #12 & #35” is from Dylan’s highly-regarded 1966 album Blonde on Blonde.  There has been much debate about the meaning of the song.  While the chorus I referred to (“everybody must get stoned”) seems to imply that it’s about getting high, be it by drugs or liquor, given the way the song is written I don’t really think so.

There are other features of the song that support the interpretation that the song is about getting high.  First, there’s the somewhat maniacal, though methodical, playing of the band.  You could say it sounds as if the musicians are high as a kite while trying to play circus-like music.  It sort of sounds like you’re walking down Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras.  Then there’s probably the best parts of the song: Dylan laughing as he sings some of the lyrics, people in the background with their exclamations, whistling, and crazy laughter (I swear I can hear my high school classmate Ed’s laugh in there after Dylan sings “They’ll stone you when you’re riding in your car” and at other times).  

Personally, I think the song references the historical act of stoning people for misdeeds (real or imagined).  When Dylan sings about “getting stoned”, I think he’s talking about how at any time, for any reason, some people will harass, criticize, or shame people.  Basically, he’s talking about what we now call “trolls”.  Because, as you know, people have always been crazy and now the internet let’s everyone advertise how crazy they are.  Substitute the word “hassled” for “stoned” in the song, then maybe you’ll see my point.

Well, they’ll stone you when you are all alone

They’ll stone you when you are walking home

They’ll stone you and then say they’re all brave

Frickin’ trolls, right?  Act like cowardly jerks and then strut around like they actually did something to be proud of.  In the chorus Dylan is saying that you shouldn’t feel targeted because it happens to everyone.

But I would not feel so alone

Everybody must get stoned

But the real point about the song’s meaning is…that it doesn’t matter what it means.  Unless you take from it that having a healthy sense of humor is a wonderful thing.  The music is an absolute blast that invites you to sing along and have fun.  Enjoy the vocals, the piano, the harmonica, the brass band, and the wacky guys and gals in the background.  Enjoy the fact that Bob Dylan actually laughs.  Lighten up and have yourself a laugh as well.  You deserve it.

[missy96chrissy-blog]

Everybody must get stoned

Bob Dylan

[johneward35]

The History of 4/20

Before the days of Google and Wikipedia, the origins of the term 420 were left mostly to the imaginations of stoners. Today the consensus is that the term originated in 1971 with five highschool students — Steve Capper, Dave Reddix, Jeffrey Noel, Larry Schwartz, and Mark Gravich — in San Rafael, California. The group referred to themselves as “The Waldos” and according to most reports, would meet after school at 4:20 PM in front of a statue of Louis Pasteur to search for a cannabis crop that had been abandoned by a Coast Guard service member in the nearby woods. Whether or not they ever found it remains unclear, but they continued to meet up at the same time and place to consume cannabis. To avoid suspicion, they began using the code “420 Louis” (eventually shortened to “420”) to reference the meetings during school hours. Dave’s older brother was good friends with the Grateful Dead’s bassist Phil Lesh, and the term eventually ended up circulating among Bay Area Deadheads throughout the 70’s and 80’s — and finally to cannabis enthusiasts around the world. 

While that story’s mundane origins and supporting documents give it credibility, plenty of other theories have been suggested over the years. Here are a few of our favorites:

420 Chemicals in Cannabis

It’s impossible to say who thought up this clever interpretation of 420, but they were a little off in their calculations. Cannabis actually contains 483 known compounds, such as cannabinoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, and omega fatty acids. 

A Song by Bob Dylan

The song Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 by America’s favorite mumbler is often cited as the origin of 420 due to the lyrics “everybody must get stoned” and the fact that 12 x 35 = 420. Coincidence? Probably. 

Bob Marley’s Birth/Death

Given Bob Marley’s associations with weed, it’s not surprising that he found his way into this legend too. Unfortunately, he was born on February 6, 1945 and died on May 11, 1981. Sorry, Bob. 

California’s 420 Penal Code

Many people have lit up in public parks over the years, but the misdemeanor offense of obstructing another person’s access to public land isn’t something you’ll often hear people talk about while passing a joint. 

Jimmy Carter’s Rabbit Incident

On April 20, 1979, a swamp rabbit swam toward President Jimmy Carter’s fishing boat and was sensationalized by the media as an attack by a killer bunny. This event is obviously worthy of a holiday, but Carter’s 1973 UFO sighting smells much more like cannabis. 

Ancient Aliens

Your dad’s favorite History Channel show, Ancient Aliens, premiered on April 20, 2010. Sure, 420 started years before, but like, did it really?

 The post The History of 4/20 appeared first on Dockside Cannabis.

from https://www.docksidecannabis.com/the-history-of-4-20/

from Dockside Cannabis - Blog https://docksidecannabisdispensary.weebly.com/blog/the-history-of-420

[theaudiobible]

Greatest Albums: 1966

Highway 61 and Rubber Soul had inspired creativity in music across the world. The peak of this creativity revolution would be next year. In the meantime, however there was still time for the birth of psychedelic rock, the first ever double LP in pop/rock music, and more successful experiments with sound. All are feats not to be sneezed at, but three albums in particular this year would be truly revolutionary.

Number 3

Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde

Blonde on Blonde is more than just the first double album in popular music. Despite the 73 minute run time seeming gargantuan at the time, a majority of the tracks still compete with some of Dylan’s best. Like most double albums, there are times when one might skip through some of the more meaningless tracks (“Temporary Like Achilles” for example). There is a thought on every listen, perhaps if he weeded this down, there is a perfect 40 minute LP somewhere in here. Blonde on Blonde succeeds however in the fact that these moments are rare. If the tracks were uninteresting, perhaps the double album would have never taken off! Dylan follows in the trend of “Bringing it All Back Home” and “Highway 61 Revisited”, the album always feels more like folk-rock or pop/rock than traditional folk. There is a distinctive sound to the tracks however and like those records, everything on Blonde on Blonde feels unique to it. For an artist famous for his delicacy and selection of lyrics, it might be surprising the most memorable line on the record is “everybody must get stoned” (“Rainy Day Women 12 & 35”). Equally as surprising is hearing Dylan wax lyrical about a women’s brand new “Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat”. But Dylan still has time to soothe in standout “Just Like a Women.” The best artists are those who surprise you with each new record. Sure Blonde on Blonde is at times peculiar, and sure its a marathon of an LP, but there is certainly a beauty to the madness. The result is a record which is as playable and approachable as it is revolutionary.

The Hit: Just Like a Women

Hidden Gem: Obviously 5 Believers

Number 2

The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys had been producing surf rock classics for a number of years. Pet Sounds was their chance to show off their craft and earn credibility as legitimate artists. That being said, it is really a record crafted by one, Brian Wilson. Brian arranged and composed almost all of the record while the remainder of the Beach Boys’ brothers toured with a replacement in his place. The result is something few could have predicted. The distinctive Beach Boys harmonies remained, but the album hardly feels “beachy”. Brian’s brothers (who make up the rest of the band) and producers alike originally did not approve of much of the record. “God Only Knows” was one famous problem for Wilson. Nobody wanted to touch a song which mentioned God, however the track was just so good and one of Wilson’s personal favourites. They were also baffled at the use of animal sounds on a commercial record in the title track instrumental. Luckily, there were enough commercial(ish) hits to help Brian get the record over the line. These come in the form of “Wouldn’t it Be Nice?” and “Sloop John B.” among others. On reflection, the world can simply enjoy the music, which has the fun nature of any old Beach Boys record, but is as pioneering and well orchestrated as a Beatles release. Though originally not as commercially successful as past releases in the US, Pet Sounds brought instant critical acclaim in Britain. Sales were also better in the UK, with the album reaching number 2. Like Blonde on Blonde, Pet Sounds is an example of a band reaching out to do something wacky in order to get something which sounded new. And like Dylan, Brian Wilson managed to conjure up a record that is both playable and a pioneering record for its time.

The Hit: God Only Knows

Hidden Gem: Here Today

Number 1

The Beatles: Revolver

By now it was getting predictable. The Beatle’s again made the greatest album of the year. Often the fact Pet Sounds was released a few months before Revolver sees it viewed by many as being the real revolutionary album of the year. It is hard to take anything away from Pet Sounds, however Revolver simply propelled rock into the stratosphere. In doing so, they invented “Psychedelic Rock” which would characterise so much of the music to come in the decade. “Rubber Soul” the year earlier had been a record that was so revolutionary but so approachable. The Beatle’s with that record had found the formula to commercial success. Instead of going with the tried and tested commercial formula, however, they went for “Revolver”. The band members were heavily under the influence of drugs for a large part of the writing process; particularly psychedelics. That influence is so prominent on the record. One noticeable connection between the two records however is the influence from Indian music through George Harrison. The use of a sitar was so acclaimed on Rubber Soul, this time the Beatles went all out, using both sitar and tabla in “Love You To”. McCartney howls about his need for drugs in the hilariously disguised love song “Got to Get You Into My Life”. One of the most famous tracks however would be the children friendly “Yellow Submarine” which would go on to fuel so many primary school songs, and title the Beatle’s film to be released later in the year. Revolver truly feels unique from any Beatles’s releases of the past. In spite of the records experimental nature however, the hooks are as fun as ever. This is no more notable than Lennon talking about himself as a drug distributor in the devilishly groovy “Doctor Robert”. “Taxman” is shamelessly political, the first time a Harrison track would find itself on side 1 track one. This rolls straight in to “Eleanor Rigby” the first Beatle’s song in which no members of the band play instruments. We even see the first ever “sample” in pop music in the closer “Tomorrow Never Knows”. The Taxman guitar solo is played in reverse, and the effect is unmissable. With Revolver, the Beatles had somehow spit in the face of Rubber Soul’s success, and come out the other side with reputation intact.

The Hit: Eleanor Rigby

Hidden Gem: Here, There and Everywhere

[kansascityhappenings]

It’s time you learned how 4/20 became ‘Weed Day’

Watch Video

There is something in the air today. Maybe you’ve noticed.

April 20, or 4/20, is known as “Weed Day” in some circles because the date corresponds with a numerical code for marijuana.

Yes, it seems arbitrary. So how did the number 420 come to represent smoking pot?

First, let’s get the myths and rumors out of the way:

The legend of the California penal code

Some claim the number is drawn from the California criminal codes used to punish the use or distribution of marijuana. But the state’s 420 code actually applies to obstructing entry on public land. So, not quite.

But the rumor sounds a lot like …

The legend of the police radio code

Neither LAPD nor NYPD even have a code 420. San Francisco Police have one, but it’s for a “juvenile disturbance.”

So never mind that theory.

Then there’s …

The legend of the Dylan song

This one is a nod to Bob Dylan’s song, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” and its lyric, “Everybody must get stoned.”

Multiply 12 by 35 and you get 420.

Seems a bit of a stretch. And Dylan himself has never confirmed any link.

The story that appears to hold the most water is …

The legend of the Waldos

According to Chris Conrad, curator of the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum in Oakland, California, 420 started as a secret code among high schoolers in the early 1970s.

A group of friends at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California, who called themselves “the Waldos,” would often meet at 4:20 p.m. to get high.

For them, it was an ideal time: They were out of school but their parents still weren’t home, giving them a window of unsupervised freedom. They met at that time every day near a statue of Louis Pasteur, the scientist who pioneered pasteurization.

The 4:20 time became a code for them to use in front of their unsuspecting parents, and 420 gradually spread from there — possibly via Grateful Dead followers — across California and beyond. It’s even the number of a California Senate bill that established the state’s medial marijuana program.

What was shorthand for a group of friends can now be seen on T-shirts, in Tinder bios (420 friendly) and throughout pop culture.

And of course, on the calendar every April.

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2018/04/20/its-time-you-learned-how-420-became-weed-day/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/its-time-you-learned-how-4-20-became-weed-day/

[omgnewsy-blog]

Police Now Cracking Down Tokers On Weed Day

New Post has been published on http://omgnewsy.com/police-now-cracking-down-tokers-on-weed-day/

Police Now Cracking Down Tokers On Weed Day

Pot may be legal in eight US states and the capital, but tokers getting behind the wheel on a national weed appreciation day could be in for a downer as police forces crack down on intoxicated drivers.

In places like California, where recreational marijuana has been legal since January, law enforcement officials and doctors are worried about an increase in people arrested for erratic driving and hospitalized with overdoses.

The issue is particularly acute on April 20, or 4/20, a national day of celebration in cannabis culture — especially after 4:20 pm when usage surges.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which looked at 25 years of data on fatal crashes in the US found that the risk was 12 percent higher between 4:20 pm and midnight on April 20, compared to the same time frame a week earlier and a week later.

The penalty for driving under the influence (DUI) applies to both alcohol and other forms of drugs.

There is a serious “lack of knowledge on the users, so they still feel like ‘I thought I can drive, it’s all legal now,'” said John Hernandez, an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.

‘We’re all OK’ On a recent cool weeknight Hernandez pulled over a DUI suspect at a police checkpoint. The first thing he noticed was that the car reeked of pot.

The driver, a slim, well-dressed 20 year-old man with bloodshot eyes, told Hernandez that he smoked some pot at noon, nearly nine hours earlier.

His three friends in the vehicle, all about the same age, protested. “He’s OK, we’re all OK,” said the sole woman in the group.

Hernandez was unconvinced, and put the suspect through a standard DUI roadside test: walk in a straight line, stand on one leg, touch your nose.

“I told him ‘Put your hands on your side,’ but he had his hands way out there, like an airplane,” Hernandez told AFP. “It looked like he’s trying to fly away or trying to keep his balance.”

The suspect said he was nervous, and that was causing his legs to be shaky — “but that’s also a sign of someone who’s under the influence of cannabis,” Hernandez said.

The young man failed the test.

Hernandez slapped on the handcuffs and sent him to a nearby bench to join other suspects waiting for a ride to the police station.

At the station the suspects are placed behind bars until the marijuana effects wear off. Next will come a court date, the likely loss of their driver’s license, and the stain of a criminal conviction.

‘Like a gun’ Aside from weed for smoking, marijuana dispensaries sell items like pot-based candy and chocolate.

Experts warn that children could seriously overdose if they mistake the weed sweets for regular candy.

Mark Morocco, a professor and emergency care physician in Los Angeles, said doctors have seen a “gradual but progressive increase” in pediatric marijuana overdose cases since January.

Children in a pot haze usually just seem “altered,” Morocco told AFP.

Doctors first have to rule out an infection or a trauma, the two leading causes of death or injury of pre-teen children.

Then they have to consider “more rare and more insidious” possibilities, such as an overdose of prescription medicine.

A marijuana overdose is “the last thing we think about,” he said.

Weed Day – Marijuana News – April 20

Overdosing on pot is not lethal, and the treatment is rest until the effects wear out. In the case of a minor, a social worker must also be called in.

Morocco tells parents to treat marijuana the same as prescription medicine, or “like a gun — you need to have positive control over it in your house.”

How April 20 became ‘Weed Day’

There is something in the air today. Maybe you’ve noticed. April 20, or 4/20, is known as “Weed Day” in some circles because the date corresponds with a numerical code for marijuana. Yes, it seems arbitrary. So how did the number 420 come to represent smoking pot?

First, let’s get the myths and rumors out of the way:

The legend of the California penal code Some claim the number is drawn from the California criminal codes used to punish the use or distribution of marijuana. But the state’s 420 code actually applies to obstructing entry on public land. So, not quite.

But the rumor sounds a lot like …

The legend of the police radio code Neither LAPD nor NYPD even have a code 420. San Francisco Police have one, but it’s for a “juvenile disturbance.” So never mind that theory.

Then there’s …

The legend of the Dylan song This one is a nod to Bob Dylan’s song, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” and its lyric, “Everybody must get stoned.” Multiply 12 by 35 and you get 420.

Seems a bit of a stretch. And Dylan himself has never confirmed any link.

The story that appears to hold the most water is …

The legend of the Waldos According to Chris Conrad, curator of the Oaksterdam Cannabis Museum in Oakland, California, 420 started as a secret code among high schoolers in the early 1970s.

A group of friends at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California, who called themselves “the Waldos,” would often meet at 4:20 p.m. to get high.

For them, it was an ideal time: They were out of school but their parents still weren’t home, giving them a window of unsupervised freedom. They met at that time every day near a statue of Louis Pasteur, the scientist who pioneered pasteurization.

The 4:20 time became a code for them to use in front of their unsuspecting parents, and 420 gradually spread from there — possibly via Grateful Dead followers — across California and beyond. It’s even the number of a California Senate bill that established the state’s medial marijuana program.

What was shorthand for a group of friends can now be seen on T-shirts, in Tinder bios (420 friendly) and throughout pop culture. And of course, on the calendar every April.

– afp / cnn