More than 60,000 people made their way to Sunset Beach Saturday for the first Vancouver 4/20 event since marijuana was legalized in Canada last year.
Vancouver police said there were “no major incidents” at the event, though officers assisted BC Emergency Health Services with more than 14 medical emergencies, issued more than 30 tickets, and investigated three people for impaired driving.
Additionally, St. Paul’s Hospital reported some 42 visits to its emergency room for symptoms related to the 4/20 event. Most of those visits were for nausea, vomiting, and anxiety related to the consumption of edibles, hospital staff said. None of the emergency room visitors were admitted to hospital.
Roughly 400 vendor tents were set up at Sunset Beach, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
“Today was a good example of remarkable teamwork between the Vancouver police, fellow first responders, the Vancouver Park Board, and the City of Vancouver, allowing for a safe environment during a large scale event,” said VPD Sgt. Jason Robillard in a release.
Now that the event is over, the park board will assess any damage done to the field at Sunset Beach during the unsanctioned event.
Roughly 30 volunteers combed the park for garbage after the event concluded Saturday night, removing numerous trash bags from the park.
Dana Larsen, one of the organizers of the event, told CTV News the post-4/20 clean-up has gotten more streamlined over the years.
“We’ve worked it out over the last few years,” he said. “It just works really, really smoothly now so that we can get everything out.”
On Sunday morning, the grass appeared to be heavily damaged in some areas.
Garbage is cleaned up, but parts of the field at Sunset Beach Park are in pretty rough shape after yesterday's #420vancouver event. Grass looks quite damaged even on areas covered by plastic flooring. @CTVVancouver pic.twitter.com/ykTRRqRONX
— Ben Miljure (@CTVNewsBen) April 21, 2019
In previous years, the city has billed organizers for the cost of policing the event and repairing damage to the park. Last year, the city estimated the total bill to be about $245,000 and said organizers repaid $63,000.
Those responsible for the event say they plan to chip in again this year, but not for the cost of policing, which makes up the largest portion of the bill. Organizers say police presence at the event is unnecessary, which is why they refuse to pay for it.
