Canada - Pro-Marijuana Protesters Hit Parliament Hill

[The General]

An annual day of celebrating cannabis culture is ramping up into mainstream political activism as the pot-smoking 420 movement takes on marijuana prohibition with rallies across Canada. Police are advising motorists to steer clear of Parliament Hill in the national capital as a large demonstration is expected for the annual April 20 event, when pot activists traditionally partake at 4:20 in the afternoon. The 420 moniker dates back to the pot culture of California in the early 1970s, but it became formally attached to April 20 when a group of Vancouver activists held the first day-long rally in 1995. Anti-prohibition activist Jodie Emery says recent legalization in two U.S. states has opened the eyes of governments and businesses to the financial benefits of a legal trade in marijuana. And she says that has given the annual 420 rallies – which have now gone global – a renewed emphasis on influencing government policy. As Emery puts it, "we've won over the Man and the establishment."

News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Cbc.ca
Author: The Canadian Press
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Website: Pro-marijuana protesters hit Parliament Hill - Canada - CBC News