Advocacy group calls on Vancouver to 'embrace' cannabis tourism after 4-20 'debacle'
The head of a B.C. cannabis growers group says the City of Vancouver's choice to discourage instead of sanction a marijuana celebration over the weekend was a costly "missed opportunity."
The BC Craft Farmers Co-Op says the city should rethink its approach to 4-20 celebrations and sanction what could be an “international cannabis tourism event.”
Co-op president Tara Kirkpatrick says the city erected barriers around Sunset Beach and had police target vendors at the unsanctioned celebration over the weekend, instead of authorizing a “professionally run special event,” similar to the annual Pride Parade.
Previous celebrations in Vancouver on April 20 - considered the day to celebrate smoking cannabis - have drawn tens of thousands of people, caused traffic gridlock and expensive damage to city parks.
However, Kirkpatrick says such an event could generate millions in tourism revenues for the province, which could cash in on B.C.'s “rich cannabis culture” and reputation as a place with “legendary craft cannabis farmers.”
Vancouver's Park Board had temporary fences put up, and closed washrooms and parking lots on Saturday as a way to “mitigate” what it said was a “non-sanctioned cannabis protest event.”
The group says Vancouver could have followed in the footsteps of the City of Prince George, which held a permitted “cannabis summit” over the weekend attended by thousands, including the city's mayor.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.