City Art Gallery goes to pot

City Art Gallery goes to pot

Thousands light up joints to celebrate cannabis culture at 4/20 event

for Metro Vancouver

A girl holds a lit joint in celebration of 4/20 outside the Vancouver Art Gallery yesterday. The joint weighs about seven grams. The annual event attracted several thousand marijuana enthusiasts

A crowd of more than 5,000 people lit joints and got high outside the Vancouver Art Gallery yesterday to celebrate 4/20, the annual cannabis culture gala.

The impenetrable mass of people at the event counted down to 4:20 p.m., and then proceeded to spark up joints, pipes and bongs. The sky filled with a massive plume of smoke.

From teenagers to the middle-aged, the festivity attracted a wide demographic of pot smokers.

Jannis, who moved to Vancouver from Germany in July after graduating from culinary school, rolled up a hash joint and drank imported beer on the steps of the VAG.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said, adding that he was surprised to see the size of the celebration.

“The people here really know how to enjoy themselves,” he said. “I think 4/20 is an indicator for this kind of lifestyle.”

An 18-year-old girl sitting with her friends said that they had been waiting more than two years to participate in the event.

“We came all the way from Calgary for this,” she said.

“We had to lie to our moms,” said one of her friends.

B.C. Green Party candidate Jodie Emery and her husband, Marc Emery from the B.C. Marijuana Party, were seen handing out pamphlets for the upcoming May 12 election.

“Some people have been here since 7:30 this morning,” Jodie Emery said.

“It’s a great crowd today.”

Thousands expected at pot rally

Thousands expected at pot rally

for Metro Vancouver

Police don’t plan to make arrests at event celebrating cannabis culture

Smoking marijuana may be a criminal offence, but Vancouver police won’t be looking to make arrests at a pro-pot rally on Monday that is expected to attract thousands of people.

Const. Jana McGuinness said officers will be present at the event, which takes place in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery every April 20.

A contest to win a Blueberry Skunk plant, from 2007

A contest to win a Blueberry Skunk plant, from 2007

“As long as there isn’t a public safety issue, where things would move into the streets, then the event will be able to continue,” she said.

Last year, about 6,000 people took part in the 420 gathering to celebrate marijuana culture. 

Despite open pot use, no arrests were made. That many people are expected to return this year and to spark up joints at 4:20 p.m.

Jodie Emery, Green party candidate for the Vancouver-Fraserview riding, said the event is a celebration of Canadians’ “autonomy.”

The B.C. Green Party platform for the May 12 election includes the legalization of marijuana.

“Millions of dollars go into enforcing marijuana laws, and this money could be used to prevent more serious problems like violent crimes or identity theft,” she said.

Jodie Emery is married to Marc Emery, founder and president of the B.C. Marijuana Party. 

He’s facing extradition to the U.S. for selling marijuana seeds to Americans online.