The Legends of 710
By Steven Luthy
What if the greatest mystery in all the world of cannabis was solved, would you believe it? Well let me tell you about the convoluted and arbitrary origins of the mythical stoner holiday that is known everywhere as 710, the great wax celebration. Unlike the international phenomenon that is 420, 710’s story is a bit murky. So let’s try to wade through some of the most interesting theories about everyone’s favorite wax holiday and get a little closer to the truth. If you still don’t know what I am on about or just need a gentle reminder what this whole movement is about, flip 710 upside down…
Oil that is, golden gold, Colorado tea. Wax and the holiday that is 710 are a culmination of all things cannabis extract and it is a force to be reckoned with. Now for the simplest history of the concentrate holiday, all you need to know is the definition for the term, Ambigram…. Not sure, well neither was I. An Ambigram is in fact something drawn that is meant to be seen both in a primary position and in a secondary one. In our example that means that 710 denotes both a time and when inverted denotes the subject, oil. By that fact, many have argued that the 710/oil connotation has been around long before oil was a cannabis term. But don’t fret the origins of the most mysterious celebration in cannabis aren’t just a lesson in grammar, let’s dig deeper…
Does anyone like stoner rap? Yes. Well then have you heard of TaskRok? Probably not. Allow me then to introduce you to the one person most credited with pioneering 710 as a holiday and phraseology. Tracing the terms origins to 2011 in the small chat room, TinyChat, TaskRok and some cannabis industry friends were going on about how they didn’t connect as much with 420 anymore and needed a new holiday just for wax. It was with this sentiment that the Eminem-esk TaskRok suggested using what to him seemed obvious at the time, 710. On July 10th of the same year he released the album, The Movement which seeks to encourage a dab movement. I think this sentiment is best highlighted in his song Hits From the Nail:
“I love my bong, I got a couple at home
But this little oil rig has got me stumbling stoned
And all it takes is a splash just to fill it
So the water doesn’t stink, it’s okay if you spill it
It makes me insane in the brain, I can feel it”
So there you have it sort of, if the internet has anything to say at least. But unlike the many modern holidays, created through corporate sponsorship with goals of mass sales and help from an army of media influencers, 710 grew into the thriving holiday we love because of the grassroots community and passion that the cannabis industry is known for. TaskRok would like that the community owns this holiday and not him. We are all thankful for another great reason to celebrate cannabis in all its forms.
