It’s 420! The day we spend with our friends celebrating all that is cannabis. But in the era of social distancing, what the heck are we supposed to do? While it’s a bummer that we’re feeling so isolated, it doesn’t mean we have to miss out on celebrating the biggest holiday in stoner culture. This year, kick off 420 with some dank buds and every smoker’s favorite pastime!
Get ready to find your spot on the couch, grab some snacks, and press play because we’re going to share some of the best movies to watch while high this 420. But first, some history about this famous number.
How Did 420 Originate?
If you’ve ever wondered how the hype of 420 got started, here’s the story. The go-to blazing hour, and the corresponding holiday, started back in the fall of 1971.
There was a group of stoners at San Rafael High School in northern California who called themselves the “Waldos.” They heard that a Coast Guard member had abandoned a harvest-ready cannabis crop in the nearby woods. Taking advantage of the situation, the Waldos decided to meet up after class at 4:20 to begin their trek to find the bounty.
While they never did find the crop, they continued to meet regularly at 4:20 to blaze, and it ended up becoming the term to set their cannabis plans in motion. The story goes that one of the kids’ brothers was friends with Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, and that’s probably how the term caught on in the Haight-Ashbury scene. High Times magazine likes to take credit for spreading the term back in the 90s, but who knows how this stuff actually spreads into a cultural phenomenon, right?
OK, back to the movies.
Here’s our picks for the best flicks to watch during a social distancing 420.
What to Watch While High This 420
Dazed and Confused (1993)
We’re kicking off the list with the stoner classics about small-town Texas teens set in 1976. The all-star cast plays a group of high school kids during the last days of the school year. They spend their time smoking, talking about sex, and enjoying some of the funniest – and stoniest – conversations ever. It has one of the best 70’s music soundtracks to enjoy while high, along with Matthew McConaughey’s most famous one-liners.
Smiley Face (2007)
One of the lesser-known stoner classics, Smiley Face introduced the world to the female stoner comedy. Anna Faris plays Jane, an out-of-work actress who accidentally eats a whole batch of her roommate’s weed cupcakes. She spends a disastrous day in a haze on a search for weed to replace the cupcakes – without missing her big audition. If you’re a fan of Broad City, you’ve got to check out the original stoner chick flick that shows the world that girls can also have adventures while high!
The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Dude. An unemployed aging hippie who spends his time smoking joints, bowling, and mixing a mean white Russian. He’s every stoner’s hero, living the dream life until a couple of nihilists break into his apartment and pee on his rug. It’s a fantastic film, but there’s still a lot of debate over what this movie is even about. All the more reason to watch it while high!
Friday (1995)
The 90’s pinned South Central LA as the land of gang-related turmoil and strife. And then there was Friday, a much-needed refreshing stoner comedy that made light of life in the “hood.” Craig, played by Ice Cube, gets fired from his job, and he gets a lot of shit for it. Along with his weed-dealing friend Smokey, played by Chris Tucker, his newly found free time is full of over-the-top gang neighborhood shenanigans. This laugh-out-loud comedy was Ice Cube’s passion project that he funded with his own money. Two dudes, sitting on a porch, taking in their surroundings. A classic stoner comedy for the ages.
Why so Many 90s Movies?
Wondering why some of the best stoner movies are from the 90s? Let’s take a look at a little more cannabis history. While the 70s was the decade that cannabis really set foot in American culture, the 90s is when it became cool again. The generation that survived the era of the 80s “Just Say No” campaign overcame the propaganda to become advocates for cannabis. And thanks to this rise of weed in mainstream American culture, people made some really dope movies!
Stay safe and healthy this 420, and enjoy! And you don’t have enough supplies on hand to celebrate, make sure to place an online order now!
