I'll save you a read, nobody knows. a theory that connects it to the 27 club (various celebrity musicians who died at the age of 27) is debunked. it's proposed that a white lighter could be more easily stained by cannabis resin, and thus be a giveaway

Others believe that lighting three or more cigarettes on the same match will bring on bad luck.

This started in World War I as a basic safety precaution. Some soldiers sitting in the dark on either side of the front decide to have a smoke. When the first one lights his cigarette, the enemy across the field sees the match light. While the second man lights his smoke, the enemy grabs their rifle and takes aim. When the third man lights his, the enemy fires.

My stoner friends back in high school wouldn’t let anyone get in their car with a white lighter for fear of being pulled over and caught with weed

I have never heard of this, ever.

Huh, wouldnt have guessed that. My theory was that people thought they might be older lighters that had printed wraps that weren't selling, so they were peeled off and relabeled for sale again, meaning they had lost some fluid over time.