4/20-Easter has come and gone, Earth Day has arrived, and candy and weed remain discounted as the late Cool Pope would have wanted. But the origin of the holiday dates back to a group of stoners at San Rafael High School in California in 1971. Of course, they couldn’t be a proper crew without a self-imposed nickname that said, “you’re damn right we’re high.” These teens went with “The Waldos.”
At 4:20 p.m., after football practice finished, the Waldos would meet up at the school’s statue of chemist Louis Pasteur and smoke a joint. Then, like a Seth Rogen reboot of Goonies, the group would follow a map a friend’s brother drew to a weed plant in the woods. According to the lore, they never found their treasure, but their secret code for the quest “420 Louie” stuck.
Eventually shortened to just 420 and popularized thanks to Steve Bloom at High Times, the holiday we know today has taken on a life of its own. From Denver’s Mile High 420 Festival to Delaware’s Blowchella, celebrations of all sizes are popping up in recreational states nationwide.
Still, the genesis of 420 underscores a high teenager’s arrogant, intoxicated, yet relatable thoughts: What if my ideas are universally awesome? Sometimes they might be, even after you come down and grow up.
What Vincent Chase and His Bros Can Teach You About Weed
At Hooky, we are big fans of THC. The psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol is basically the front man of the entire weed family band, inducing euphoria, stimulating the appetite, and altering our sensory perception in such a way that it feels like we’re taking the bras off or our brains. At the same time, the jacked MMA fighter at the dispensary or elderly grandparent looking for chronic pain relief may not be looking to watch Half Baked while getting fully toasted. (More weed and munchie pairing suggestions below.)
That’s what’s great about cannabis, there is something out there for almost everyone if you know what cannabinoid you’re looking for. Still, even if you don’t want to experience the intoxicating effects of weed, you shouldn’t fear a tiny amount of THC either. That is because multiple cannabinoids must work together to harness the plant’s therapeutic effects. Experts refer to this synergy as the “entourage effect.”
As if any of us needed another reason to fire up a bowl and the 2004 HBO series, Vinny Chase and his crew unintentionally explain how the main cannabinoids on the market work individually and as a team. We like to call it the Entourage entourage effect.
Vincent Chase starring as THC:
Whether it’s a project or party, a success or a bomb, nothing gets off the ground without THC. Not every high is going to elevate you to Queens Boulevard, but THC is why people show up in the first place. And perhaps most importantly, hot girls love it.
With Eric Murphy as CBD:
Even Batman needs a Robin to keep him grounded, and CBD is the bird in hand to THC. While some have assumed that CBD is inherently a buzzkill that brings down THC’s high, research suggests that high doses of CBD can enhance the effects of THC. Plus, if you mumble CBD fast, it kind of sounds like E.
Billy Walsh as THCA:
It’s like THC, but slightly twisted. To get the effects you want out of it, you have to keep THCA at the right temperature. Or burn it to the ground.
And Ari Gold as THCV:
THCV is a cannabinoid often referred to as Diet Weed or Weederall due to its effects of focus, energy, and suppressing hunger. And if there is one character on this show that makes us lose our appetite, it’s Ari. That said, as the THCV of the group, this dirtbag makes things happen. If nothing else, he’s a cannabinoid of action.
Plus, Salvatore “Turtle” Assante as CBG:
Studies suggest that CBG may be soothing for those suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s, as well as have protective effects against colon cancer. In other words, it’s a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is good for your belly. And the squishy center of this cohort is obviously your boy Turtle.
Finally, Jonathan “Drama” Chase as CBN:
CBN is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been linked with improving sleep quality. Given the impact that good sleep has on our mental and physical health, not to mention how many people struggle with it, this is a pretty big deal that is literally slept on, not unlike Johnny Drama’s theatrical genius.
Pick Your Next High Watch Based on Your Munchies
In the spirit of nostalgic watches, we’re pulling out our annual faves. Tis the season to gather round with your beloved stoner pals and delight in the traditional movies of this beloved 4/20 holiday season. Truly, a good stoner movie is worth its weight in buds. The genre is comforting and wide-ranging. A good weed movie is funny, entertaining, weird. It should also be easy enough to follow that you’ll still be okay if you get sidetracked googling whether anyone has invented shower karaoke machines yet. Stoner comedies have come a long way since “Cheech and Chong: Up In Smoke,” (of course, forever shout out to those icons.) Honestly, at this point, early aughts pot movies have become the new classics. And there are many of them. So what to watch? Why not pair your film with the nonsense snack it goes best with? Choose your favorite munchie below, and we’ll tell you what movie to watch it with.
Lasagna
“Smiley Face”
Ana Faris is pure joy in arguably the smartest stoner movie of all time. We stand firmly by her character Jane’s contention that it’s “still fun to eat” when you’re high. We love pretty much everything about this red-eyed protagonist, including the fact that she considers framing a picture of lasagna. Because she loves lasagna, of course.
Gummy Worms
“Snakes on a Plane”
Some movies are so dumb they’re brilliant. We’ll never stop wondering how someone convinced a movie studio to spend 33 million dollars making a whole ass movie based on…snakes on a plane. We’re just glad it happened. Nothing says serpentine confection like a big ol’ bag of gummy worms and two hours of Samuel L. Jackson acting ridiculous.
Little Cupcakes and Shit
“Next Friday”
You should be so lucky to have a friend like Baby D, who knows about all the bootleg snacks. Pop on this turn-of-the-century classic for lines you’ll realize you still have memorized from back in the day when you ditched school to rent this DVD at Blockbuster.
Burgers..(Especially White Castle)
“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle”
Kids these days have no idea what an epic mission it used to be to secure fast food while high. Luckily for the film-viewing public, Uber Eats hadn’t been invented yet in 2004 when Harold and Kumar set out on what should have been a quick spin through the drive-thru. Save the shootouts and Neil Patrick Harris cameos for this fictional duo. Order some delivery, and treat yourself to a burger and fries from the comfort of your couch.
A Whole Ass Pint of Ben & Jerry’s
“Half Baked”
Have you watched an old Dave Chappelle movie…on weed?! It’s hard to think of a stoner comedy as quotable and archetypal as “Half Baked.” The character Brian may request “Sour cream and onion chips and dip and a whole lot of Haagen Daz…” but it’s pretty clear that the true frozen treat associated with this movie is Ben and Jerry’s “Half Baked,” the cookie dough and fudge brownies flavor the company released in 2000, two years after the movie came out and became a nationwide dorm room sensation. It is absolute bullshit that Ben and Jerry’s recently allegedly fired their CEO over his liberal activism…(did they think Ben and Jerry’s was run by a conservative?)…we’re kind of freaking out, man…
Forecast: Bitcoin is at 90,861, gold is at 3,439.60/First round of the NFL draft kicks off Thursday, April 24th 5:00PT/8:00ET/ Want to know The Best Way to Store Weed? Check out Cannabitch
