'420' GATHERING BRINGS MORE THAN A THOUSAND TO REDWOOD PARK

Consuming comestibles from ganja ice cream to hash lollipops - or even
hash itself - more than 1,000 people gathered at Redwood Park on
Sunday to celebrate "420" - a reference commonly used when referring
to marijuana culture.

Along with the sizable crowd, 10 police officers were visible
patrolling the scene.

In a place where hundreds of people were illegally smoking marijuana,
it seemed like it might be difficult to enforce the law, but Sgt.
David Brown of the Arcata Police Department said it doesn't stop the
officers from doing their job.

"The number of people doing something doesn't negate a law," said
Brown. "Just as any other day, we have a job to enforce the laws."

Jason Robo, president of the local chapter of the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the gathering is a
nonviolent holiday and thought the police presence was overdone.

"I think a vigilant public is perfectly capable of keeping care of
itself," he said. "The biggest aggression for someone smoking pot is
going to be ripping open a bag of Frito Lay chips."

APD Capt. Tom Chapman said that for the most part, there wasn't too
much police activity at the park. A few arrests for drug possession, a
few parking citations - that was about it, he said.

Parking next to the park was filled for four blocks away, as folks
young and old and from a variety of different backgrounds made their
way to the spectacle.

It was something to see, with loud, persistent bongo music louder and
camp tents set up alongside beach blankets.

Right around 4:20 p.m., a section of the crowd began to go
wild.

A cloud of smoke rose above the heads of a small group, as its members
began to smoke a joint that was at least a foot long and as wide as a
hearty burrito.

"I'm here for the scene, man. It's a wild scene," said one man as he
stood among a group of his friends.

Of the three entrances to the park, one was closed off as of Friday -
the 14th Street entrance where a gate was installed by the city of
Arcata.

Brown said he wasn't sure why the gate was put up, but that it could
be because the park has had significant damage done to it after hours
by campers.

Rumors were swirling that the gate was put up before Sunday on purpose
to keep cars out of the parking lot during the 420 gathering.

"I would maybe ask why they would think it would be unreasonable the
city didn't want that going on in the park," Brown said.

Robo saw the day as a way to celebrate the marijuana culture and set
aside negative connotations associated with it.

"Cannabis is a salvation for many of the problems we have in this
country and it's been demonized," Robo said. "We need to shatter those
impressions."