Every stoners’ favorite holiday is here and it’s going to be high and dry in Helen on 4/20 this year!

Like any great grassroots movement, there are several origin myths about 420. One is that it’s the California police code for marijuana. In reality, the California police code 420 indicates obstructing entry on public land. Another theory is that it stems from the Tom Petty song “Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35” because 12 x 35 equals 420. That one is quite a stretch, but creativity is a side effective of 420 friendliness!

420’s true origin is a humble one. It was a code that a group of California students in the 1970s, now known as ‘The Waldo’s’, used to talk about smoking reefer without drawing attention. 4:20 was the perfect time to smoke because it was after school but before their parents were home from work. One of the Waldo’s was a good friend of the bassist of the Grateful Dead and once the term 420 found it’s way into the Dead Scene, it spread like wildfire and by the 90’s was a common way to reference cannabis.

In December of 1990 a group of Oakland deadheads handed out fliers to smoke at 4:20 on 4/20/1991 and a flier made its way into the hands of a journalist for High Times Magazine. May 1991 was the first time 4/20 was mentioned as a holiday in High Times and the rest is history. At Alpine Dispensary 420 is so special to us because it’s also our anniversary!

Let’s take a journey through the history of cannabis in honor of 420.

2800 BC: Cannabis was regarded as one of the 5 major grains in Chinese agriculture and it was listed as a medicine in Emperor Shen Yung’s pharmacopoeia. He is considered the father of Chinese medicine. It seems that medical marijuana dates back to the ‘stoned age’.

1000 BC : Hemp was one of the first textiles used in making clothing in Ancient China and India. When you visit us at Alpine Dispensary in Helen, you’ll notice we have our own line of custom Hemp T shirts and hats. Does that count as #vintage?

420 BC : “The Greek philosopher Democritus declares that matter is composed of indivisible and indestructible atoms”. This set us up to understand the first law of physics, that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed. Similar to the first law of cannabis, THCa transforms into THC when heat is applied.

200 AD : Aelius Galen, a Roman physician, used cannabis therapeutically and to improve mood. It was customary for him to serve marijuana cakes to guests to increase sociability. If you want to party like it’s 200 AD, check out our edible options at Alpine Dispensary!

420 AD: The Southern dynasties begin in China. During this time, cannabis was an integral part of Chinese medicine.

1600: farmers that moved from Europe to North America were legally required to grow hemp for export by King James.

1850: Cannabis was integrated into the US pharmacopeia and used widely in cough medicine, to treat discomfort from rabies and tetanus and ease nausea.

1898: Dustan and Henry isolated CBN . This historic discovery was considered the first time a cannabinoid was extracted in its pure form. CBN is wonderful for sleep and relaxation which is why we offer our Sleep Support Gummies with CBN and CBD here at Alpine Dispensary.

1936: The movie ‘Reefer Madness’ premiered, demonizing the cannabis plant and leading to the downfall of cannabis medicine in the Western World. This propaganda to scare the common person away from cannabis led to prohibition.

1937: The Marijuana Tax Act made it virtually impossible to posses marijuana, putting a halt to medical research and negatively effecting the trade of industrial hemp. Thus the black market of cannabis was born and an underground culture emerged.

1940: Adams and Todd extracted CBD from hemp for the first time. CBD is used worldwide to treat a myriad of symptoms. It is considered the most medically effective cannabinoid in the cannabis plant, yet research is still in infancy because of over regulation of hemp. At Alpine Dispensary, we have CBD tinctures, gummies, flower, salve and much more.

1964: Mechoulam isolated THC from the cannabis plant for the first time. THC is the most popular cannabinoid, because of its euphoric effects. Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill (more on that later) we are able to have a wide variety of THC products at Alpine Dispensary. Smokeable flower, edibles and tinctures are just a few of the options we have. All of our products are listed on our website or available in store.

1970: Cannabis is added as a schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no medical purpose and a high potential for abuse. Of course at the same time, cannabis is growing popularity for recreational use in America. As the War on Drugs raged, the era of peace and love blossomed in America, fueled by patchouli and marijuana. As tensions heightened in America between ‘The Man’ and the hippies, chemists continued studying the intricacies of cannabis.

1988- 1993: CB1 and CB2 receptors are discovered, and a greater understanding of the endocannabinoid system is developing.

1996: California is the first state to establish a medical marijuana program.

2012-2017: Research emerges that CBD helped alleviate symptoms of schizophrenia and symptoms of childhood epilepsy. As time goes on, more research is coming out showing CBD to be affective at managing symptoms of many disorders.

2018: The Farm Bill is passed, legalizing all cannabis that contains less than 0.3% Delta 9 THC, opening up a world of possibilities to explore other cannabinoids and deep dive into the science and chemistry of cannabis. From CBG to THCa, at Alpine Dispensary we are dedicated to exploring all the possibilities of hemp.

2019: Alpine Dispensary opened their doors on April 20th 2019 and has pioneered cannabis in a prohibition state while navigating the farm bill and formulating the highest potency and quality cannabis products available in the state of Georgia.

Humankind has evolved alongside the cannabis plant. We have a long and interlaced history of medical applications, social encouragement, religious uses and even political battles stemming from hemp. 420 is a day to celebrate all we’ve learned, all we’ve gained from cannabis and to light up in honor of the folks that made it possible for us to safely enjoy cannabis. Visit us online or in store at Alpine Dispensary and let us make your 420 unforgettable!

Live well.