CITY ART GALLERY GOES TO POT

Thousands Light Up Joints To Celebrate Cannabis Culture At 4/20 Event

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."