“I’ve Heard of 420, But What is 710?”

The term “420” has been a code word for marijuana for decades.  Originally, it started when a group of friends in California would meet everyday after school at 4:20pm, to get high and hang out.  Since then, it has become synonymous with the marijuana legalization movement, and is used by many as a rallying cry.  April 20^th, or the 20^th day of the 4^th month, or, “420”, has been an international day of civil disobedience for decades as pro-legalization protestors stormed public squares en masse to make a stand for their rights as marijuana users.  Here, in Toronto, 420 regularly sees thousands of people storm Dundas Square to smoke and vaporize marijuana together, in a show of peaceful force.  The police stand on the perimeter and make sure everything is orderly.  They are not in great numbers, and typically don’t bother anyone for smoking cannabis outside on that day.  It also helps that most people at these rallies are otherwise peaceful and law-abiding citizens.  

The Code “710” has a much different origin than 420.  Remember that all cannabis concentrates, are, at their core, hardened cannabis oil.  The oil can be processed and finished in an ever-growing multitude of ways, but essentially, it is all just cannabis oil.  

Now, before we tell you what “710” means, we should explain why the code even exists in the first place.  Social Media has become a great place to share our life experiences, and for those of us whom enjoy a lifestyle that includes marijuana, cannabis and cannabis concentrates, our pictures on social media tend to reflect that.  And so do our hashtags.  But these days, when looking up hashtags like #weed #marijuana #cannabis and #dabbing, apps like Instagram block the majority of images from showing up in our search.  A message reading: “Recent posts from #weed are currently hidden because the community has reported some content that may not meet Instagram’s community guidelines” is displayed after only a handful of pictures are shown.  However, search “710” on Instagram, and you’ll find more than 8.1 million posts (as of February 2018), all pertaining to the cannabis concentrate and dabbing culture.  

So Why “710”???

Okay.  Here’s the fun part, although some of you may have caught on by now.  If you turn the word “OIL” upside down and flip it around, you come up with a figure which looks very similar to the number “710”.  And 710 is as innocuous and unsuspicious a number as there ever was, which is also perfect for making a secret code hashtag.  By adopting this code, and using it as a hashtag, it has helped keep busybodies, anti-marijuana advocates and disciplinarians away from our culture and has allowed dabbing to thrive and grow on social media.