Vancouver 4/20: Our blow-by-blow recap of the day

The annual Vancouver 4/20 event is upon us again.

This Saturday’s event in Vancouver’s West End is the first to take place since recreational marijuana was legalized last fall and will see the addition of a major musical headliner.

But while the federal laws around marijuana have changed, a lot has not – such as the ongoing dispute between 4/20 organizers and Vancouver’s city and parks officials.

Here’s a recap of what took place at Saturday’s event. 

The latest

• Legendary hip hop group Cypress Hill is headlining this year’s event. It is the first time organizers have announced a musical act as a headliner.

• This year marks the event’s 25th anniversary.

• Reporter Nick Eagland is on site at the event and is sharing live updates.

• There are only three licensed cannabis retailers in Vancouver. Those stores must sell product purchased from the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch, the sole, wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis for the province.  None of the vendors at the 4/20 event are licensed to sell weed. Not surprisingly, the illegal stuff is cheaper. People are reporting that weed prices at 4/20 are 75 per cent less than what the government-licensed dispensaries and the online B.C. Cannabis Store website are charging.

Map of the event

Why are 4/20 organizers and city officials at odds?

There are a couple of sticking points including:

• Cost of the event. City officials maintain organizers haven’t been covering their fair share of the costs, including for policing and clean-up of Sunset Beach. Organizers say they have paid money year after year, even though the city has never issued them a permit (which would allow for the city to officially charge them for those costs).

• Location/venue. In 2016, the 4/20 event outgrew the Vancouver Art Gallery plaza and was moved to Sunset Beach Park. Organizers and 4/20 supporters are fond of the view, the park’s grassy terrain and wide open fields large enough to accommodate the crowds. Park officials have urged organizers to seek an alternate venue, citing field damage to Sunset Beach Park, a no smoking in parks bylaw and the impact to West End residents. To date, no one has been able to suggest a new venue that is acceptable to both parties.

• Purpose. Organizers say the event – which has been described as a protest, rally, festival, vendor’s market and more – remains important in the fight against the stigma of marijuana. City and park officials say the event has become a money-making festival and can no longer be treated as a protest protected under human rights laws.

• Unfair? On Friday, Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung released a letter from a group of event organizers, including those from Vancouver Pride Festival, SKOOKUM music festival and the Italian Day Festival Society, who questions why the 4/20 event has been allowed to proceed without a permit and without paying police costs. “Calling an entertainment event or festival something other than what it is should not preclude organizers from following the same rules. We encourage the authorities and regulators to hold all gatherings to the same account,” the letter said.

Still a protest?

After recreational cannabis was legalized last October, many people wonder what is left to protest on 4/20. Vancouver filmmaker and funnyman Seth Rogen answered that question on his Instagram account on Saturday.

Rogen, a longtime marijuana advocate, is supporter of the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, a protest that is pushing the federal government to expunge the criminal records of Canadians convicted of pot possession.

On March 1, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale tabled Bill C-93 to provide no-cost, expedited pardons for simple possession (up to 30 grams) of cannabis. The bill scraps a $631 application fee and five-year waiting period for a pardon after conviction.

Rogen says a pardon doesn’t go far enough.

“The Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty is asking for your help to put pressure on the Canadian government to amend Bill C-93 so that it provides for the expungement of criminal records and not merely their suspension. Let the Canadian government know you stand behind the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty,” he wrote.

Live webcam of Sunset Beach Park

Daily Poll

What are people saying

“It’s gone now from being a protest to a festival and I think they were foolish to do this because it makes our point stronger, that it’s not a protest.”

–Tricia Barker, Vancouver parks commissioner

“I expect to be back at Sunset Beach next year, the year after and the year after that. No one has suggested a better spot for 4/20 because there isn’t one.”

–Dana Larsen, Vancouver 4/20 organizer and dispensary owner

Read more about Vancouver 4/20

Five Things: Here’s what you need to know about 4/20 in Vancouver 2018

Frustration brews over double standard for Vancouver 4/20 pot festival

Vancouver park board votes to request cancellation of Cypress Hill appearance at 4/20