You either look forward to it all year or roll your eyes every April: 4/20 is coming. This year, the unofficial holiday for weed smokers falls on a Monday, but numerous Lansing-area pot shops are offering pre-4/20 deals that continue through the holiday or even all week.
If you’re celebrating 4/20 in Michigan, there are food specials and discounts to look out for — as well as the expected deals on leaf or other marijuana.
Here’s what to know about 4/20, what we know about how 420 became a code for weed and some 4/20 food specials.
When is 4/20 in 2026?
In 2026, 4/20 falls on Monday, April 20.
Why is 4/20, April 20, related to weed?
If you smoke pot, you likely know that 4/20 is weed day, a day for a “puff, puff, pass” session (or many) with your pals.
You may have heard in grade school that 4/20 is a holiday based around the late, great Bob Marley’s birthday, but that isn’t true. While Bob Marley was a known marijuana smoker, he was actually born on Feb. 6, 1945.
The true origin of why marijuana lovers spark up on April 20 every year (or even associate the time 4:20 with smoking pot) isn’t clear, but there are a few rumored possibilities.
Where did the code 420 come from? Origin of 420 as code for weed
One of the most popular theories behind why April 20 became a day for getting high is a story of a group of high school students in the 1970s in California, who allegedly would meet to smoke pot every day at 4:20 p.m. when school got out.
There’s little evidence to support the story and it isn’t likely that a group of high school kids habitually smoking pot in the ‘70s could lead to “420” being a code for getting high.
Although a group of Californians published a slew of documents to prove this theory’s legitimacy, it’s hard to tell if it’s truly the origin of the holiday or using “420” as slang for smoking pot.
According to a Vox article on the origins of the holiday, “One common belief is that 420 was the California police or penal code for marijuana, but there’s no evidence to support those claims.”
The real answer isn’t clear. No one really knows why or how, but for many weed smokers, April 20 is simply a day to smoke pot or advocate for its legalization in states where marijuana is only allowed with the possession of a medical marijuana card.
4/20 food specials, discounts
Got the munchies? Most dispensaries run 4/20 deals every year, but there are also usually a few food deals and discounts to score on the weed-centered holiday.
Here are some deals to look for this 4/20:
Where can I find marijuana deals around Lansing?
In anticipation of 4/20, numerous Lansing-area marijuana dispensaries began offering specials for the weekend, lasting through April 20.
Here’s a look at some of the discounts offered at Greater Lansing dispensaries:
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Pot holiday offers freebies, discounts on food, more in Lansing area
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Dan Basso, USA TODAY NETWORK / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
