420 All Month: Headbanger, and Happy 420!

Happy 420, everyone! Before I get into the review, I wanted to take a minute to answer the question: What exactly is 420; and where, when, and how did this number come to represent cannabis? The really short version is that it started being used by some high school students in San Rafael, California in the early 70’s as simply the time of day for cannabis-related activities. The reason I say activities and not just smoking is that there is actually some controversy over who specifically started it and their reason for doing so.

Two groups of teenagers from San Rafael High School both claim to have first used the time 4:20 PM, who by various accounts were all friends, or at least friendly with each other. One group, who called themselves the Waldos, have what is by far the more interesting story. They acquired a hand-drawn map to an abandoned cannabis grow from another classmate’s brother-in-law, and these boys would meet at a statue of Louis Pasteur at 4:20 on afternoons when they intended to go looking for said cannabis. The other group, called the Beebs, while far more plausible, is far less compelling unfortunately. Their story fits the classic stoner story mode of “we were high and someone asked what time it was, and it was 4:20.” Far less exciting in comparison to the Goonies/Stand by Me nature of the Waldos’ story. These two groups still, to this day, are fighting for credit for inventing the phrase 420. If you’re interested in the full story, I’d recommend this SFGate article from last year.

Some things that are NOT the origin of 420 include:

• The number of active chemicals in cannabis.
• Teatime in Holland.
• Police radio code for illegal cannabis use or possession.
• Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35” (12 x 35 = 420)
• And my favorite due to its absolute stupidity: April 20th is Adolf Hitler’s birthday.

In my teens back in the 90’s I always assumed the police code was the actual reason, since we couldn’t just Google anything we wanted, so verifying this would have been way more trouble than it was worth, and it seemed like a perfectly reasonable explanation. I mean, 187 has come to be associated with murder due to California penal codes and then references to 187 in rap lyrics, so why not 420 for weed? But alas, no.

Alright, the history lesson is over, time for some Headbanger. This is the final entry in the big three from Gele, their “calling card.” It’s perhaps the most popular cultivar in the area. I could go on about the popularity just where I work, but having spoken with other people in the cannabis industry in the area, it seems to be in high demand just about everywhere.

The greens of the bud cover a range from sage to pine to forest, the medium brown pistils are relatively average in size and volume, and the whole thing sparkles with frosty trichomes. The nugs are typically medium to medium-large and fairly consistently shaped. They’re just a little fluffy, but are relatively firm at their core. From even the first glance, this Headbanger is clearly an expertly cultivated cannabis.

The aroma is one of my very favorites of all the Sour Diesel variations out there; it’s piney and earthy, with a tinge of sweetness from the gassy overtone that leaves more of a nose-feel than a lingering smell. It smells like an insanely clean mechanic’s workshop. The smoke is heavy and has a bit of that throat-spiciness, but has a medium body that makes it very smokable despite its overall weight. Headbanger’s flavor mutes the aroma a bit as all flower does, leaving a gassy and somewhat citrusy sweet-and-sour aftertaste.

But most Headbanger smokers aren’t here for the aesthetics, they’re here for the high. When a customer isn’t interested in or doesn’t have time for even a shallow dive into the menu, but simply wants to know “What’s going to get me the most high?” the easy answer is Headbanger. One of my very first memorable customer interactions were these two young guys visiting from California. They’d never been to Maine before, and they were planning on just walking around one of the local downtowns to just check it out and to find a place to eat. And they needed a couple of joints for this. They were acting all cocksure and talking a big game about tolerance and how much they smoked and all. Which isn’t bad information for a budtender to have, but I do want to point out that – at least from my experience and from talking to other budtenders – we’re not generally super impressed that you have a crazy high tolerance if you’re just bragging. 

An aside related to this point: I’ve never really understood what the obsession with high tolerance is. I actively work to keep my tolerance a bit lower than it otherwise might be… so that I DON’T have to smoke so much to get high. Sure, I used to put down a fat joint in one go like Snoop Dogg in Half Baked just to show off sometimes, but that was more about technique than tolerance. Anyway, that might seem like an odd thing to even mention, but I just imagine someone at a bar with an expensive and fancy cocktail menu, and when the bartender asks what they’re looking for, they respond “I can drink a handle of vodka.” Sure, but what kind of drink do you want here? Sorry. Moving on.

So these two young guys wanted something hard-hitting, and I recommended Headbanger straight off. They gave a “yeah?” with the kind of tone that indicated they believed me that I thought it was potent, but that they might be a little skeptical. I added with a chuckle “If you haven’t had this one before, just make sure you’ve got a place to sit down.” They assured me they’d be fine. And then they came back the next day to tell me that I was indeed right, that it had gone to their heads more than they had been prepared for, and that they wanted to buy more before they headed back to Cali because it was so good.

Headbanger is a party strain, it’s a social strain, it’s a banger. It’s my go-to for concerts, other outdoor crowded events, or simply when I want to get (pardon the vulgarity) high as fuck. As I tell customers and friends alike, the only thing Headbanger isn’t good for is NOT getting high.

Happy 420 everyone. Smoke responsibly.

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