420 Louis

If the “420 Louis” meetings had taken place in Area 51, the trend may have gone galactic, but the catch-phrase and story actually began near the Bay Area by the self-proclaimed, Waldos. They started the trend of gathering at 4:20 pm, where they were likely toking legendary cannabis strains like Acapulco Gold or Panama Red. Back in 1971, when the trendy term began to travel, there were various concepts about the meaning and origins. Some thought it was a police code indicating that there was “marijuana smoking in progress,” however, the original code, “420 Louis,” was whispered in the hallways to prepare the group for the gathering at the school’s statue of Louis Pasteur, pull out a map that was gifted to them and continue the search for a green field, filled with free weed in Point Reyes, California. The five San Rafael High School students who inspired the legendary trend called themselves the Waldos, a name meant to describe odd people that was coined by comedian Buddy Hackett. The group includes David Reddix, a filmmaker and retired CNN cameraman, Steve Capper, Larry Schwartz, Jeff Noel and Mark Gravich. They still gather and reflect on it as an inside joke, while they continue to celebrate their love of marijuana.

The legendary time of 4:20pm later morphed into an entire day of “4-20” filled with cannabis celebrations across the U.S.A, including “Hippie Hill” in San Francisco’s  Golden Gate Park, where thousands of cannabis advocates have gathered. With one of the world’s largest cannabis expos, Spannabis, held annually in Spain to commemorate their passion, features guest speakers, innovative technology displays and workshops, which highlight Spain’s progressive stance towards personal cannabis consumption. Today these celebrations continue across the globe; “420 is a key part of international cannabis culture, with many people choosing 4:20pm as the time to light up a joint every day.” From music festivals to all you can eat munchies, the celebrations continue to grow beyond the Waldos wildest, smoke-filled  dreams.

As medical marijuana continues to gain positive momentum, the notorious day of 4-20 is becoming a day to celebrate survival stories as well. A day to honor the brave patients and pioneers who’ve shared their success and validate the enormous potential of cannabis as medicine. Long time medical marijuana advocate, Rick Simpson’s innovative approach to his cancer diagnosis paved a path for others like him to obtain medical grade marijuana oil. He developed the oil commonly called RSO and today it can empower other patients by allowing them to live a pain-free life. “Patients with cancer used medical cannabis (MC) products as multipurpose symptom management and as cancer‐directed therapy, sometimes in lieu of standard‐of‐care treatments.”

Scientists and researchers are discovering more about medical marijuana each day, which will surely lead to new innovative therapies where traditional pharmaceuticals are lacking. “During the past half-century, after the identification of the endocannabinoid system and its role in multiple physiological processes, both natural and synthetic cannabinoids have attracted considerable interest as putative medications in pathological conditions such as, but not exclusive to, mental disorders.” From epilepsy to anxiety, medical marijuana is making headlines for it’s safe, non-addictive medicinal uses. “While marijuana isn't strong enough for severe pain (for example, post-surgical pain or a broken bone), it is quite effective for the chronic pain that plagues millions of Americans, especially as they age. Part of its allure is that it is clearly safer than opiates (it is impossible to overdose on and far less addictive) and it can take the place of NSAIDs such as Advil or Aleve, if people can't take them due to problems with their kidneys or ulcers or GERD.”

There’s an array of medical marijuana hybrid strains that deliver tingly, goosebump sensations, which patients often find arousing. These frissons or skin orgasms are also known as “the chills,” and according to a recent study, they influence neural pathways, which is why therapists are introducing an innovative form of therapy to patients suffering with major depressive disorder. “Current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions have limited efficacy, underscoring the need for novel approaches. Emerging evidence suggests that peak emotional experiences characterized by awe, transcendence, and meaning hold promise for rapidly shifting maladaptive cognitive patterns in depression. Aesthetic chills, a peak positive emotion characterized by physical sensations such as shivers and goosebumps, may influence reward-related neural pathways and hold promise for modifying core maladaptive beliefs rooted in early adverse experiences.” As if someone where tickling your skin with a feather, these sensations occur naturally at times when blissful emotions are triggered. The study concluded that, “the biological processes involved in aesthetic chills could be harnessed as a non- pharmacological intervention for depression.” Various methods were used to induce the chills and some patients did not respond. Could medical marijuana hybrid strains, like Tokyo Kush be the key to bringing the aesthetic chills to those who don’t get emotionally triggered?.

As medical marijuana continues to invite innovative therapy with less and less stigma, the annual celebrations held on 4-20 could be highlighted with a list of new discoveries and the victories of these patients.