CELEBRATION UP IN SMOKE

Pot Supporters Celebrate 10th Anniversary

Local pot activist Ted Smith launched the 4/20 celebration last
Friday by urging the crowd to "smoke 'em if you got 'em."

And smoke 'em they did.

More than 700 people huddled in circles at the 10th annual gathering
at Victoria city hall for the 4/20 event, symbolically held on April 20.

Glass pipes, bongs, homemade rubber hose devices and just plain old
joints rolled in Zig Zags papers were lit at the symbolic moment and
passed around freely.

While several supporters in the crowd said 4/20 is named after the
police code for possession, Smith said it was coined in the 1970s by
a group of high school kids in California that met at 4:20 p.m. to smoke pot.

The term has since become the universal code to consume cannabis.

Bonnie Frederick has been attending the celebration in Victoria for 8 years.

"It has definitely grown. Three years ago it was about half the
size," she said.

Ed Chrosciewicz said the event sends a message.

"This is showing there's nothing wrong with smoking pot. When you
smoke you're happy and that's all it should be about, being happy."

Victoria police were not visibly in attendance.

"They come sometimes, but they've never arrested anybody," Smith
said. "They just walk through the crowd. It's far too much of a
headache for them to deal with. It's just not worth their time."