gathered in Colorado and Washington state over
the weekend for an annual celebration of cannabis
culture with rallies, concerts and trade shows in the
first two U.S. states to legalize recreational
marijuana.
Voters in both Western states approved ballot
initiatives in 2012 allowing personal possession
and use of marijuana by anyone aged 21 and or
older for purposes of just getting high, though
public consumption of pot remains illegal.
In January the world's first state-licensed retail
marijuana outlets opened for business in Colorado,
and stores in Washington are set to follow suit later
this year.
Both states are among 20 that have
already removed criminal sanctions for medical use
of marijuana. The federal government still classifies marijuana as
an illegal narcotic, but the Obama administration
has given states new leeway to experiment with
legalized cannabis.
In Denver's Civic Center Park near the state capitol,
revelers on Sunday gathered to hear music and
listened to speakers during a weekend event that
organizers billed as the "world's largest 4/20 rally."
The date of April 20, or 4/20, corresponds to the
numerical code widely recognized within the
cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things
marijuana.
Police officers standing by on the fringes of the
Denver festival issued 63 citations on Sunday, most
for smoking pot in public - a ticket that carries a fine
of $150.
About half as many were cited on
Saturday, police said. At least eight individuals were taken to a
detoxification facility for treatment during the two
days, police said.
Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said
officers have refrained from wading into the crowd
to arrest violators, but instead were citing people
who openly defied the public consumption ban.
"Those ticketed were blatantly in violation of state
law and city ordinances," Jackson said.
Organizers of the rally and city officials beefed up
security at the event after three people were
wounded by gunfire at last year's rally.
Separately, the Cannabis Cup, a trade show
sponsored by High Times magazine, drew sold-out
crowds over the weekend at a Denver convention
venue.
The two-day event featured marijuana sampling
and workshops, such as how to open a pot shop,
cultivation tips, and how to talk to children about
weed, according to the event's website.
Rachel O'Bryan, spokeswoman for Smart Colorado,
an organization that advocates for stricter
enforcement of marijuana laws, said the cannabis
industry needs to do more to police its own.
"People are flouting the law by openly consuming,"
she said. "We're concerned about the message that sends to
our kids."
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