Control of B.C.'s marijuana trade is worth millions and gangsters are willing to kill for it.
People who packed the Vancouver Art Gallery lawn for Monday's 4/20 marijuana smoke-in say the answer is legalization.
But will our tough-on-crime politicians -- some of whom admit to having smoked pot themselves -- go for it?
Vancouver police stood by and watched as the activist lit up.
"Our officers are displaying a high degree of discretion at an event like that," said Const. Lindsay Houghton of the Vancouver Police Department. "It's just not in the public interest to arrest 5,000 people."
So is it in the public's interest to legalize marijuana?
Cannabis advocate Marc Emery certainly thinks so.
"It's a certainty by repealing the prohibition on marijuana then on other drugs we could take away all that funding that goes into organized crime," he said.
CTV News asked the politicians about legalization.
"It's a federal issue as we all know it's not something individual provinces can take a look at," said NDP Leader Carole James.
"Legalization, if it takes place, it has to be done with the co-operation of the Americans," said Liberal candidate Wally Oppal.
But James was not evasive when asked if she has ever smoked marijuana.
"I grew up in the 70s, I'll leave it at that," she said. When asked if she inhaled, she answered "yes!"
But Oppal said he never felt the need to try it.
"A lot of the stuff was being smoked around me, I was around at that time and I can't say that I ever used it," he said.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson.
