420something

The annual pot smoker's holiday, April 20th, seems to have become an excuse for 15 year old suburban stoner kids to ride the bus into the city and take part in the activity out in the open rather than at bush parties and various other hideouts usually frequented in order to keep their parents in the dark. 'Yeah man, let's go down to the art gallery and smoke some pot right in front of the cops! It's wicked, man, they don't even do anything about it!'. Yeah, sweet dude... except for the fact that on any given day in Vancouver, you can smell marijuana smoke at least several times while out on your leisurely stroll in the afternoon.

Maybe the 420 rally at the art gallery has always been like this, and I just never noticed since I myself was a young pothead. Since then the smoke has cleared slightly, so to speak, and I just don't see it as such a novelty anymore.

I used to get really irritated when this guy I was dating back in university would bring out his little pipe at the bar and giggle and snort like an idiot while showing it off. Like, cool buddy, you smoke pot and you want everyone to know! Congrats! Needless to say I dumped his ass.

The pot-smoking tourists REALLY get on my nerves! It is true that we are pretty liberal about it here in Vancouver, but come on... don't like up your chonger on a busy shopping Saturday on Robson amongst the young families and puff it obnoxiously. At least go sit on the art gallery steps or go to the Amsterdam Cafe like all the other pot tourists.

Anyways, this was all prompted by my visit to 7-11 on the glorious pothead holiday, when I happened upon a massive lineup of giggling school boys, all waiting to pay for their pina colada slurpees. Are we entirely sure that this whole fiasco was not created by 7-11? I bet their sales skyrocket on April 20th.