In 1973, stoners preferred black BIC lighters to white ones, because the latter resulted in more arrests

Today, BIC lighters are sold in nearly every color of the rainbow. However, this was not always the case. In 1973, they only came in two colors—black and white. You may think it doesn't matter which color your lighter is as long as it works, but there is an alleged curse of the white lighter.

According to stoners, a white lighter has often been involved in run-ins with the law. This could be true because in 1973, BIC lighters were made of one piece of plastic. Hence, they were either all black or all white, including the bottom. Today, every BIC lighter has a white bottom.

Black lighters were considered superior because they would not show the ash residue left over when a smoker packed a bowl of pot. Police would often look for this ash residue and could see it on a white lighter's bottom. Hence the white lighter curse.