4/20 event returns to Vancouver Art Gallery

The annual 4/20 event returned to the Vancouver art gallery on Wednesday after spending the last few years at Sunset Beach. The city said the pro-pot gathering was un-permitted and unsanctioned, but it still attracted a large number of people.

The celebration of cannabis culture was drawing crowds in Vancouver long before legalization, and this year’s event was no different. People packed onto the north plaza of the gallery, which was lined with tents and booths selling all kinds of wares.

Organizer Adilynn McArdle said the turnout was wonderful.

"We have decided to come back home, afterCOVID,” McArdle said. "We weren’t sure about the numbers, but also we were asked by the city and we were given word that they would be fencing off the beach to remove the barge. I haven’t seen it fenced off, and the barge is still there."

In an emailed statement, the City of Vancouver said it was aware of the 4/20 gathering, and added protective fencing was put up on the other side of the gallery around the memorial for residential school victims to prevent any accidental damage. Vancouver police said they were on site and monitoring for traffic issues as they would with any large event.

Over the past two years, 4/20 gatherings at the beach attracted smaller crowds compared to the tens of thousands that turned out prior to the pandemic. With the massive crowds came controversy, including opposition from the park board.

Previous 4/20 organizer Dana Larsen said the move to the beach in 2016 was for “public safety reasons” due to outgrowing the art gallery space.

“Just looking at turnout for the event here today, it’s clearly a very popular event, one which I think should be supported by the city and probably given a subsidy like many other large community events,” he said. “If this continues to get busier and busier as it has been, then I would not be surprised if we’re looking at moving 4/20 back to Sunset beach next year.”

McArdle said while it is a celebration, it is still a protest as well over aspects of legalization.

“All they’ve created is a monopoly over cannabis. They haven’t actually created reasonable accces to cannabis, and reasonable access does not look like $15 a gram,” McArdle said. “Our medical patients, our people on disability, our people who have been affected by all of these, they are the ones who need cannabis the most.”

McArdle said the festivities were scheduled to continue until 10 p.m. Wednesday.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Layla Khdir