How To Identify A Groovy Stoner From Back In The Day
The counterculture era meant a lot of different things to different people. This was a time of change as well as growing pains for the United States. The times were changing socially, politically and otherwise. If you know anything about this historic era, you will remember that recreational drugs were front and center. This time in American history is widely associated with the emergence of a demographic referred to as beatniks, hippies and stoners.
Hippies were often identified as, “stoners.”
“STONER” [stoh-ner]
noun:
Slang. a person who is habitually high on drugs, especially marijuana, or alcohol; a person who is usually “stoned.”
Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson and Tommy Chong in That '70s Show
Back in the groovy era, it wasn’t uncommon to encounter friends, family members and/or strangers who were “stoned.” Smoking and taking drugs became a prominent recreational pastime of young people in the '60s and '70s. During the counterculture, being stoned was not only common among certain demographics, but also a preferred state of mind.
Stoners, as they were called, were typically pretty much unapologetic and open about their habit and state of mind. Whether they cared or not what others thought about them, it was almost impossible for a person to hide the fact that their mind had been altered by the drugs they imbibed.
“A friend with weed, is a friend, indeed!”
If you were a stoner or were, at the very least “in the know” during this era, you have probably heard the saying, “A friend with weed, is a friend, indeed!” That’s right… anyone who had something to smoke, and was willing to share it, was a friend, no matter what! Let’s face it… the more the merrier when it comes to partying!
So… how do you identify a stoner?
Historically, classic stoners have been known for certain characteristics. These characteristics include some firm stereotypical identifiers that were pretty much universal in nature during the groovy era. Check them out and feel free to add to the list if you feel so inclined!
Groovy Slang: Stoners and hippies seemed to have had a language all their own. For example:
• Beat Feet/Trucking: to run fast;
• Right On/Hep: in agreement;
• Far Out: totally cool and/or awesome;
• A Gas or a Blast: a great time;
• Bread/Dough: money;
• Crash: to sleep;
• Heat/Fuzz: police/cops; and,
• Cat/Chick: a guy/girl, respectively.
Tie Dyed Clothing: Hippies and stoners were often associated with wearing tie-dyed clothing. As a matter of fact, this originated when some entrepreneurial young people sold handmade tie-dyed clothing and other products outside of concert venues in order to raise money to follow their favorite bands from place to place.
Janis Joplin
Music Collection: Stoners typically had plenty of psychedelic and groovy music on hand including collections of Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, The Rolling Stones and Janis Joplin to name just a few.
Woodstock Music Festival
Woodstock: A true stoner from the groovy era either attended the Woodstock Music Festival or personally know someone who did!
420: The term "420" originated in the '70s and is still recognized annually on April 20th worldwide as a day associated with marijuana/pot smoking. A true stoner will always associate the number 420 with the recreational pastime of pot smoking; no matter if it is the date, time, cost or weight of something, etc. Whether this is considered history, fact or fiction, and there are several theories out there, it has been long celebrated by many ordinary people as well as music greats like from back in the day. It is not just a thing of the past, though. Many organizations and schools today still commemorate this term on April 20th each year for substance abuse awareness.
Fractions/Math: It has been said that some stoners are horrible in the subject of math, however, know the difference between 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 ounce of something.
Lighters/Matches: Stoners will always have a lighter on hand; even if they don’t smoke cigarettes or burn candles.
Visine Eye Drops: Visine was generally a “must have” for stoners. It never really quite "took all the red out," but it was, at least, an attempt.
Munchies: It is a well-known fact among stoners that getting high makes a person want to snack! It is always helpful to have something on hand to “munch on!”
Thinking about this groovy subject brings back many memories. It was a time of cultural unrest, for sure, but also seemed like a really magical time.
