As far as organizer Dana Larsen is concerned, the recent park board decision to deny a permit to Vancouver’s upcoming 4/20 celebration is a sign of progress.
“To me, it was a big step forward,” he laughs. “For the first time in 23 years, somebody actually considered giving us a permit. And they voted 4-3. We got a hearing, and we only lost by one vote? I think it’s progress.” When it comes to weed-related events, Larsen’s an old pro; in addition to being director of Sensible BC, a former Cannabis Culture editor, and one of 4/20’s core organizers, he’s also one of a handful of people who have attended every single year since it began back in 1995.
“It was pretty small,” he recalls. “4/20 was still this new, insider thing back then, that only the ‘cool’ pot-smokers knew about. It wasn’t mainstream, like now.” Held in Victory Square Park, the inaugural event is said to have drawn a crowd of roughly 200 at its peak (“more like dozens” Larsen laughs), and while it’s not the first – other one-off 4/20 celebrations had taken place across North America – Vancouver’s is now considered the oldest and largest of its kind. And as it’s grown, moving to the art gallery in 1997 and then to Sunset Beach, it has always operated under a thick cloud of legal and public scrutiny. Much has been made of the $150,000 in costs incurred after last year’s protest, but, as it turns out, after subtracting the $90,000 4/20’s organizers paid the city, it cost substantially less than public gatherings like the Celebration of Light (more than $500,000), the Pride Parade ($80,000 in grants, plus policing and cleanup), and even the Trump Tower protest ($105,000). And while the event itself has its fair share of critics (including here in these pages), Larsen stresses that they make every attempt to be conscientious neighbours.
“Even though there’s been tension about things, we’ve still talked and met with the city,” he notes. “We have extensive site meetings, we work with paramedics, we work with the police, we work with sanitation, we work with park rangers. We have meetings where there’s 20 people there representing various city agencies. The meetings are friendly and productive.” With a crowd that grows each year, and legalization just around the corner, 2017 stands to be a banner year for the city’s marijuana advocates. However, as Larsen points out, that doesn’t mean 4/20 rallies are going anywhere. Instead, despite legalization chatter, permits, and the endless musings of the mainstream media, North America’s oldest pot rally – and its longest-running attendee – stand poised to continue into their 23rd year and beyond.
“There’s still going to be a lot to protest,” he says. “I’m glad they’re talking about this, but I don’t expect that even when they pass this law, everything’s going to fixed. Maybe in 10 years, who knows? But I do expect that one day, just like with other events, we’ll see the mayor of Vancouver, and major politicians coming out to 4/20 to celebrate.”
