POTHEADS GEARED UP FOR TOKIN' GESTURE

It may not be the official first day of spring, but tomorrow is the
first day pot smokers will come out of hibernation.

Hundreds of marijuana advocates are expected to flood College Park
between 2 and 4:20 p.m. to celebrate "4/20 Day" -- a rally to
"publicly puff down" current marijuana laws.

"It's our first awakening," said Toronto Hash Mob founder Davin
Christensen. "We're getting out of the house and showing everyone
that the stoners haven't gone away. It's just a nice community gathering."

The expression 4/20 refers to marijuana consumption and April 20 is
known to pot smokers as the international cannabis holiday.
Christensen, 31, said organizers chose College Park because the
address is 420 Yonge St.

Demonstrators are sending a message to Ottawa to repeal the marijuana
possession law in Canada.

Right now, it's illegal to import, export, produce, sell or possess
marijuana under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, unless one
applies to the government to use it for medicinal purposes.

"There are so many people smoking (pot) now that it's unacceptable to
enforce unjust drug laws," Christensen said.

"Prohibition and putting people in jail for a health issue is not the
right approach and not the way we should be dealing with things now."

This is the third year Torontonians are celebrating 4/20 Day.

There are also big parties scheduled in Vancouver and California
tomorrow, he said.

Organizers have also been promoting their protest on Twitter and Facebook.

"We might have some rain in the forecast," he said.

"But the first year, we had 500 people and then 2,000 the year after.
Numbers should be able to grow each year."