POT LOVERS LIGHT UP, PARTY AT FESTIVITIES IN VICTORIA PARK

Marijuana: A Spontaneous Crowd Gathers for the Annual Ritual

Hundreds of doobie devotees celebrated the most important date on the
pothead calendar yesterday by getting lit at London's Victoria Park.
A cloud of marijuana smoke wafted into the air at about 4:20 p.m., on
the 20th day of the fourth month of the year.

4:20 Day, as it's called, was first reported in California in 1971.
Since then, it has spread across North America and become an annual
counter-culture ritual.

Those in the know light up alone, privately with friends or in groups
in public places.

The public events are unorganized in the conventional sense.

People attending yesterday's smokefest in the park said they heard
about it by word of mouth, e-mail or social networking on the Internet.

"You just hear about it and everyone shows up," said Dawna, who
declined to give her last name. "I heard about it from my daughter
and she heard about it from friends."

Most of them cheered after the word spread it was time to light up.

The throng gathered in the northeast sector of the park, near a tree
where a couple of musicians entertained them with a rasta rock sound.

Deryck Murray and Shango Clarkson, a duo known as Son of the Sun,
said they ordinarily perform every Sunday night at Scot's Corner tavern.

"We had an opportunity to play for a bigger crowd and we took it,"
Murray said. "It was fun, very peaceful."

"There were only about five people here when we arrived about a
quarter to four," Clarkson said.

Half an hour later, there was a crowd.

Senior citizen Kathleen Furlong said she was there for the music.

"I like these guys (Deryck and Shango). I don't drink and I've never
done drugs, but it didn't bother me. It was T-shirt weather and
everybody was having fun and enjoying the sun."

Roz, also a friend of the musicians, said, "it was a nice event
except for one thing -- the litter. I'm into the environment and I
couldn't believe the big mess left behind by the crowd."

London police were not seen during the gathering.

Some passersby didn't appreciate what they saw.

Christa, her husband Pat and their three children were in the park
when they encountered people smoking bong pipes and dragging on joints.

"We were astonished. We couldn't believe people were openly doing
drugs when it's against the law. It made us feel uncomfortable
because our children were with us."