A few days after the 25th annual 420 Vancouver protest gave the entire West End a contact high, the smoke has cleared and the dust has settled. Now it’s time to bask in the afterglow of what was the biggest 420 event the city has ever held.
420 Vancouver drew a crowd of 60,000 at its peak during the Cypress Hill performance shortly after 4:20 PM. An estimated 100,000 attendees showed up to toke up and chill out throughout the day.
Don’t believe us?
Then check out the exclusive gallery, taken by our resident photographer Craig Weedography.
420 Vancouver a massive success
And that’s despite the constant protestations of the Vancouver Park Board, who did their absolute best to stop 420 Vancouver and the free Cypress Hill concert in a barrage of attacks in the media that further demonized cannabis users and this amazing event.
Detractors said that it was no longer a protest since cannabis is legal now, but the Park Board inadvertently ended up proving exactly why 420 Vancouver is still more necessary than ever in light with their hypocritical double standards when it comes to events with cannabis versus alcohol.
That’s because the park board bans both alcohol and smoking in all public parks. But when it comes to events like Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Craft Beer Week, and the Vancouver Jazz Festival, the city is happy to allow exemptions to permit these licensed alcohol events to proceed. But when it comes to cannabis, there is no smoking allowed with ZERO EXCEPTIONS!
420 Vancouver brought out a huge, fun-loving, and peaceful crowd, with a report from Global News saying:
” Overall, the record-breaking crowd didn’t lead to any major incidents for police or paramedics. “
A crowd of over 100,000 with no arrests or major incidents for police or paramedics is a reason to celebrate and shows the awesomeness of the cannabis community. If only the Vancouver Park Board focused on the positive, they would see how 420 not only brings the community together, it’s good for tourism and the surrounding businesses.
All photographs courtesy of Craig Weedography. Words by Mike O.