IT'S 4:20, LIGHT 'EM UP

A plume of smoke could be seen rising above the Vancouver Art Gallery
yesterday at 4:20 p.m. and just ask any of the hundreds of public pot
smokers in attendance if the only rule worth following is puff-puff
pass.

April is the fourth month and yesterday was the 20th day which makes
it 420, the annual worldwide pot-smoking celebration that leaves many
a toker red-eyed and looking for a snack.

But what does 420 mean?

"Everybody has their theories, but to me it's just 4:20 in the
afternoon," said smoker John Shavluk about how the celebration
originated. "This has been going on since Mark Emery got here in '93
or '94."

But according to the nearly 1,000 tokers who made their way downtown
to get stoned, the celebration is about more than just smoking pot.

"People hated rock 'n' roll and the association with the rock music is
what did it [made pot illegal]," said local musician Chris Emery.

"This is 2006 and we're all criminals, so let's turn ourselves in all
at the same time, right here."