Pro-Marijuana Forces Reach Critical Mass on 4/20!

[Skip]

It appears the US pro-marijuana movement has finally hit critical mass. Yesterday, 4/20, apparently more cannabis users than ever before came out to celebrate the plant they hold in high regard.

And amazingly, all went well, with few arrests or police action. Perhaps the police were too outnumbered, or perhaps they have finally seen the light and realized that people who use cannabis are just fine if you leave them be.

This article in London's Daily Mail, is replete with great images of the day from the US and Canada. It's too bad England's cannabis laws have taken a few steps back into prohibition. No doubt seeing what is going on in America can only spark citizens in other countries to become more active.

Big smokeout at the U of Colorado!

Crowd enjoying the day, toking up at the U of Colorado, Boulder

Huge crowds turned out in front of Denver's Capitol building for 4/20.

People toking up at 4:20 pm on Hippie Hill in San Francisco.

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[WestCoast4Life]

Yeah dude we don't fuck around out west. Legalize!

 

[zeppelindood]

you gotta love the haze over the crowd in the above pics

 

[SpasticGramps]

It's great to see such large numbers of people getting out and protesting!

 

[Skip]

If you look over the article, it's very interesting to note that the only images from Canada were of two young boys smoking a bong and two pix of a guy getting beat up and arrested by the police. No crowd pix, nothing to make the day look good, just propaganda shots to influence the Canadian public to disapprove of cannabis.

Also note that the Daily Mail has stopped posting comments after only 30 or so. So evidently this article is not approved by the powers that be in England, just as the day itself was propagandized by the Canadian powers.

Can someone post up some crowd pix from Toronto and Vancouver, so we don't let the powers that be rule the day?

 

[Chiefin]

WOW! That's a crowd! Damn what a HUGE joint!

The propaganda is to be expected, what other means do they have to demonize the sacred herb when the numbers are growing in our favor?

 

[Hammerhead]

City
Toronto Hash Mob celebrates 420 with pot protest at Yonge-Dundas Square


http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/04/..._420_with_pot_protest_at_yonge-dundas_square/

 

[Speedcat]

fuck yea people. Post somemore pics. I love the capitol building with the large crowd. Fills me with joy

 

[Hammerhead]

DP

 

[Hammerhead]

Vancouvor 420 bash
http://www.theprovince.com/smokers+converge+Vancouver+Gallery+annual+event/2929973/story.html

Pot smokers converge on Vancouver Art Gallery for annual 420 event
By Staff Reporter, The ProvinceApril 20, 2010Comments (97)
StoryPhotos ( 1 )
Thousands of B.C. pot smokers joined other marijuana users from all over Canada at 4:20 p.m. and lit up joints at a pot smoke-in rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on April 20, 2009.Photograph by: Les Bazso file photo, The ProvinceThousands of marijuana smokers and activists are expected to gather at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the annual 420 event Tuesday.

Locals and tourists alike will follow a tradition that began in San Francisco in the early 1970s, where a group of students met every day at about 4:20 p.m. to smoke marijuana.

The celebration has attracted about 10,000 people in the past.

“4/20 started with a group of people meeting every day to smoke marijuana at 4:20 p.m. and has grown into the largest annual worldwide protest,” said Jacob Hunter, rally organizer. “More than half of Canadians want marijuana legalized, yet despite decades of protests, studies and lobbying, our politicians are still not listening; even if it takes decades more, we will continue to protest in larger numbers until marijuana is legalized.”

The event begins at 10 a.m. and lasts until 6 p.m.

A First Nations smudging ceremony officially kicks off the festivities at 11 a.m. and speakers — including Marc and Jodie Emery, Dana Larsen, David Malmo-Levine, Jacob Hunter and Kirk Tousaw — will address the crowd on both sides of the gallery (West Georgia and Robson) between 4 and 4:20 p.m.

 

[cateros]

If you look over the article, it's very interesting to note that the only images from Canada were of two young boys smoking a bong and two pix of a guy getting beat up and arrested by the police. No crowd pix, nothing to make the day look good, just propaganda shots to influence the Canadian public to disapprove of cannabis.

Also note that the Daily Mail has stopped posting comments after only 30 or so. So evidently this article is not approved by the powers that be in England, just as the day itself was propagandized by the Canadian powers.

Can someone post up some crowd pix from Toronto and Vancouver, so we don't let the powers that be rule the day?

We had a trouble maker here in toronto actually some idiot brought a pelet gun pistol or paint gun pistol and got the cops a bit freaked but a few of the crowd showed the cops we dont approve of this type of behaviour either and takled and citizen arrested him and hannded him over but all in all was not to bad only 300 or so people on young street at dundas square.

 

[grow1620]

lol my friends were all talking about going to the dam some time on 4/20, how it's a dream of theirs... I'd way rather be in boulder...look at that shit, must be an amazing feeling to be around all those people.

 

[Hammerhead]

Skip did you make it to hippie hill?

 

[Euphrates]

I do agree grow1620, plus with all those skateparks - Yeh, I'd much rather be in boulder.

Some of those people in the pictures are pretty funny. Not poking fun at anyone, but like with the last picture that skip posted, You see the super stoned kid (can't telll if its a guy or girl) in the green shirt and hat, then look to the right, you'll see a guy taking a picture, look right behind him at that old guy with white hair and beard - Edit: I just realized he's "raising the roof" ha -

Being amongst so many smokers' of all walks of life would be a real trip. Talk about sensory overload -

 

[medmaker420]

damn that looked like fun

for california being a leader in this fight we sure didn't have turn outs like there around here

keep it up colorado

holy shit

 

[Hydrosun]

We had more than two dozen ICmagers partying around this table on 420!

The best of the party was the honey oil smoked using a heated glass rod, most tasty stuff in the world

 

[ganjamind]

the people from photos look so dangerous and furios...a real manace 2 society...
The police should be scared and prepared...4 anything..all of those raging beasts...
Wrong world...
In Romania (eastern europe) still is no celebration of Mj...(bad 4 us)
But...we will do a march this year....I am very pleased about this.!
Peace.

 

[Skip]

Skip did you make it to hippie hill?

Last year, not this year. I was there for the Hemp Expo a couple of days b4 however. I've got too much work to hang around SF, as much as I'd like to. Seems like a slightly bigger turnout this year.

Hydrosun, that ICMag party looks pretty good. Lots of weed there! Get a few more ppl next year and you're ready to host your own Cup!

 

[GrilldCheese]

It's too bad in most of those pictures I see just younger people. I am not old by any standard just about midlife and we need to represent ourselves as well. Government has to know it is not just college kids who want legalization.
I got a job, got a wife, got two kids, pay my taxes and aside from growing my own weed I am a law abiding citizen. I stay home with my family and am not a drinker or binge party-ier. I am just your run of the mill guy who like to smoke a bowl after work and during my leisure time, aint nothing wrong with that I am not hurting anyone. I have never abuse my wife or children and never harmed anther soul while smoking MJ. Except maybe myself once using a power tool))

So get off our backs overzealous feds. No more persecution and us middle agers need to get out there as well.

 

[Skip]

There's several reasons why it's mostly young people out there. First of all 4/20 was a workday for most people. Secondly several of the pix are from College campuses. Third, young people don't recognize the social stigma of smoking pot that's ingrained in our subconscious since the War on Drugs began.

Remember when we first toked up in the 60s & 70s? We didn't have much stigma associated with it in the early days, when we were young. The only stigma at that time was on those who did heroin. Even coke was immune from stigma. If anything using coke was a status symbol at the time.

It took thirty years of endless propaganda, more restrictive laws on marijuana, and the evolution of our generation of pot users into parents that helped create this stigma that we are now trying to overcome.

So it's the young people who see a direct threat to their future if cannabis remains illegal. They are on the front lines because they can get denied student loans because they've been convicted of cannabis offenses. So they've become activists for a cause, just like we did when we faced the prospect of being drafted into the Vietnam War...