In the past I have never felt compelled to make the trip downtown for the pot protest at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I figure if I’m going protest something I’d better be damn passionate about the cause; but legalizing pot? Okay I know its incredibly useful as a medical drug and people who need it should have legal access to it, but beyond that, who really cares if its legal or not? Seriously, in Vancouver pots pretty much legal; maybe not in print but smoke a joint in public and no one cares. Even the cops rarely bat an eye if your walking down the street smoking a joint. So whats the big deal about April 20th then?

I arrive at the VAG at roughly 3PM to a packed crowd. Navigating the outer edges of the galleries front plaza proves tricky for me because people have make-shift booths set up to sell anything and everything related to pot, including the devil itself. Theres no shame here; no ones hiding their intent to sell weed. Instead, signs offering joints and dime bags proliferate the crowd like queer-pride signs at a gay pride parade.

Slowly I weave my way through the throngs of smoke circles and dense clusters of eager stoners and reach a coveted spot at the infamous steps of the VAG to gain a better view of the entire production. Local activists and event organizers have set up a stage to make their speeches and voice their opinions. Few people listen intently, though, as most of the crowd is involved in drum circles, guitar sessions or some other trademark stoner activity.

Time stumbles closer to 4:20PM and the protest speeches wind down.  The crowd stirs as the organizers urge us to sit down in the plaza, which proves harder to achieve than usual. Getting a stoner to sit down and relax is usually as simple as getting an e-tard to dance or a heroin addict to lie down. But today we’re too excited to sit down for long because 4:20 is approaching and we all knows what that means: Its time for the ritual throwing of weed into the crowd. Im not talking about a few joints either. A couple of guys navigate the crowd carrying large Ziploc bags bursting with joints. One guy, wearing the shirt, “rehab is for quitters,” thrusts his hand into the giant stash, grabs a massive handful of joints, and throws it into the extended hands of excited potheads. Then, again and again until hundreds of joints are seeded in the crowd.

This show of protest to current pot laws represents more than just free weed for 420. The display is a statement to law makers: The mentality of pot is one of peace and sharing. Try throwing handfuls of pills or bags of powder into a crowd and fist fights break out. Pot invokes the opposite response. People are laughing and having a good time and anyone without weed at the end of this display will still leave the VAG happy and high. The message is clear: Pot is a positive force and should be freely available to everyone.

The clock finally rolls up to 4:20 and the crowd cheers as thousands of people light up. A communal cloud of smoke permeate the crowd and within minutes the plaza is blanketed in haze. Red eyes light up through the thick cloud of smoke and burn in the foggy heads of hazy stoners. A wave of subtle akwardness washes over the sea of people as the weed kicks in and the paranoid types realize they’re high in public. The crowd slowly disperses and people spill into the streets to regain some space.

Its approaching 5PM and the afternoon suns blazing as hack circles commune in the middle of Howe street; groups of friends hang out, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere; skaters skate; and photographers like myself capture the visual vibe of the moment. Its good times all around.  But everything good must come to an end and soon the Vancouver Police Department steps in to sober us from our collective dream of a world where pot is legal.

It is during this moment that I realize what 420 is all about. Its not just a protest about legalizing marijuana or an oppurtunity to smoke a joint in front of a cop. Its a celebration of pot itself. Its an invitation for anyone to come out, have a good time, relax and enjoy pot for what is really is: a plant that creates an atmosphere of peace. Thats why most people come to 420 and its why I’ll be back next year.

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