4/20 is the unofficial marijuana holiday, and NC is a top market for illegal weed
Every year on April 20, marijuana enthusiasts celebrate “420” — a tradition with roots in 1970s California. As the holiday approaches again, North Carolina finds itself at a crossroads over cannabis policy, with a state advisory council recommending legalization even as top lawmakers push back.
Here are key takeaways:
• Origin of 420: The term traces to 1971, when five students at San Rafael High School in Marin County, California, began meeting at 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana, according to Time magazine. The code spread through Grateful Dead fans and High Times magazine in the early 1990s.
• NC’s massive illegal market: North Carolinians spent about $3 billion on illegal marijuana in 2022, making the state the second-largest illicit cannabis market in the country, according to a state advisory council created by Gov. Josh Stein in June 2025.
• Council recommends legalization: The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis recommended setting up a legal, regulated marijuana and hemp market for adults. Stein, a Democrat, said the state’s unregulated market “is the wild west and is crying for order.”
• Top lawmakers oppose the plan: Rep. Timothy Reeder and Sen. Jim Burgin, both Republicans who help shape health care spending, spoke out against the recommendation, citing concerns about psychosis and rural health.
• Criminal charges are dropping: State law enforcement issued almost 18,000 marijuana-related charges in fiscal year 2023 — a 63% decline from a 2018 peak of about 49,000. Almost two-thirds of misdemeanor charges are dismissed.
• Where NC stands nationally: North Carolina is one of only 10 states without a regulated adult-use marijuana market or medical marijuana program. The council’s final report is due by December 2026.
The summary points above, based on reporting by Avi Bajpai, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi and David Raynor, were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
