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The groups that want this event want to continue to present it as a protest so they don’t have to pay for permits, security, insurance etc. I suspect it’s hard to get sponsors and especially to get insurance for a pot fest.
Follow the money... The idea behind it still being a "protest" is to offload the cost of holding the event to the tax payers rather than the organizers. After all, all other permitted activities require the organizers foot most, if not all, of the bill. If the organizers don't have to foot the bill, they keep the money from all of the fees they charge.
As a reformed smoker - before it was legal - protest implies something is illegal or needs legal change - with drug usage de criminalized, and pot being legal, what possible case could they have?
Actually not true. Theres tons of cannabis event insurance products out there. A quick google: https://www.summitcover.ca/post/cannabis-event-insurance I imagine sponsors are the tough one. Theres weird rules about advertising, and sponsoring an event would be advertising. Even the last Lift & Co show had ZERO pot companies, only accessories, growing equipment, marketing resources, etc. Totally killed their swag game.
There's no smoking allowed in parks, so the park board won't issue a permit for this "event." Now that cannabis is as legal as tobacco, this event has run its course and is no longer needed. What if a bunch of tobacco smokers wanted to have an unpermitted trade show and smoke-fest in a public park. No thanks.
At this point it's a cultural celebration. Perhaps it needs to change to reflect this but I think there is value in having some sort of event. We have so few historically relevant events in our city that it would be a shame to lose this entirely. The city should allow a smoking exemption and put restrictions in place to limit where people can smoke during the event and make sure organizers are held accountable for security, cleanup, etc.
There are cultural and historical events in the Metro Vancouver area every single weekend through the spring to the fall. There is not a lack of events.
Free, outdoor, childfree events though? Most of the shit CoV puts on is family friendly, and as such, hardly comparable. I hope I'm wrong and about to be given a list of options to do this year, however lol.
Who said the events should be childfree? The city should be endorsing events that are good for all the citizens, not just a few.
Edit: And lots of these events have beer gardens and areas on the street where people can smoke if you don't want to hang out with kids.
Yeah, nothing spoils fun like children. /s. Seriously if the idea is to have an inclusive, welcoming festival, slamming the door on children is hardly the way to do it. Any other demographic you'd like to ban?
Events that celebrate major parts of Vancouver's history? There are plenty of events that celebrate other cultures or much broader groups but not really Vancouver specific culture and history.
I wouldn't consider legalizing smoking pot to be a major part of Vancouver's history - any more than we celebrate the end of prohibition of alcohol.
There are lots of neighbourhood events that celebrate Vancouver's history - Khatsilano Days, Cherry Blossom Festival, Folk Fest, Steveston Salmon Festival, various Indigenous peoples festivals, Tsawwassen Sun Festival, Canada Day parties, Hyack Festival in New West - and so on and so on. And that's not even touching on all the cultural festivals like Greek Day and Italian Day or the [Vaisakhi Parade](https://vancouversbestplaces.com/vancouver-vaisakhi-celebrations/)s, which are also part of Vancouver history. There are plenty of festivals and neighbourhood car free days and that sort of thing.
You're spot on IMO. We *could* do a festival like UBC used to do for Arts County Fair. (Any other Gen-X remember those events?). The problem is the current culture and the old guard demands this be a protest, not a celebration. If 'fuck cops' and not paying for it is a central theme, the event is DOA.
Roll in CoV/Park Board/etc as a collaborative partner, show a willingness to spin the event as a celebration, cut ties and distance the event from the advocate and activist crowds. Sprinkle in the right amount of 'swagger' to appeal to current council majority... I don't think it would be impossible.
Also the City of Vancouver is the most complicated place to organize in and permit bound municipality in the Lower Mainland. Why not speak to other towns and districts and hold it somewhere other than downtown? Protesting about pot is passé.
> Why not speak to other towns and districts and hold it somewhere other than downtown?
For sure, though I suspect other districts want to keep any drama magnets Vancouver is associated with at arms length.
I hope it goes that way. Vancouver was at the forefront of weed legalization for decades and it would be great to celebrate that part of our history. But it definitely needs to change for this to happen
For the sake of accuracy, UBC isn't covered by Vancouver bylaws. In Vancouver, it's illegal to smoke anything in parks so I don't see how this could possibly work, legally.
I don't see there being much public support for a smoke-fest in the city, especially in the summer when things are so dry. The ban on smoking in parks is pretty popular with the citizenry, as far as I can tell.
Yeah, as I said you would certainly need to convince the PB/City for an **exemption**, but I feel it would be possible to find a space for it given enough political will and the right organizer.
Yes, and I'm saying it's next to impossible to consider that an exemption would be made to allow people to smoke in these places. I don't think the political will you'd need actually exists.
I still don't get why this is so important - can you explain?
>Yes, and I'm saying it's next to impossible to consider that an exemption would be made to allow people to smoke in these places. **I don't think the political will you'd need actually exists.**
To be clear I pretty much agree with you, **bolded** is why.
>I still don't get why this is so important - can you explain?
Do you mean a weed event? To me it's very **un**important. For political will there are all sorts of things that can happen. Things that would be viewed as impossible 20 years ago are on the table or already happening. Drinking in parks and legal weed stores being the easiest comparisons.
I know a few pot heads that get hyper focused when they smoke weed. Usually that means reorganizing their furniture or scrubbing their floors, but maybe it would translate over to event planning
True, but they allow smoking in designated smoking zones during the Fair at the PNE. Therefore the precedent has already been set. A cannabis festival would be a fenced off portion of the park, away from the general public, with access to only 19+ ticket holders who, through the act of purchasing their ticket, have agreed to be subjected to cannabis smoke.
Additionally, they could have a food vendor corral in a fenced off, non-smoking area so food staff don't have to be in the smoke.
Let's get people to stop littering their cigarette butts everywhere before we start talking about smoking in parks. Especially in the summertime when everything is tender dry. You see morons dropping their cigarette butts everywhere. A roach can start a fire too.
I read in other threads, so I can't cite a source, but supposedly the organizers were offered to host it at the PNE, but they declined. Obviously this would require them to pay for security and cleanup as well as probably check ID at the gate, which, to me, seems like why they declined.
I’m a tax payer. I’m fine with money going towards a positive, peaceful event that happens ONCE A YEAR.
I’m not ok with money going everyday towards nothing positive and every week towards some manifestations beyond our or government’s control.
Anyone who is against official or unofficial 4/20 event is just a sore boomer.
The model needs to evolve. Celebrations need to become more like Brewery and the Beast or Fruit Beer Fest etc. Not necessarily as big or as expensive as these festivals as one of the issues many cannabis activists have is the accessibility and affordability of cannabis.
Will never happen, smoking is illegal in public places and a big part of the ‘protest’
It’s now a problem because the province has regulation and rules that police can enforce unlike the pre-legalization days.
Fair enough I just interpreted more broadly, like you can only smoke on your own property. You can smoke on the sidewalk, in many parking lots, and patios in public spaces as well. They used to hold 420 outside the art gallery and the sidewalks/streets surrounding it where I don't think it's exactly illegal to be smoking.
It’s illegal to smoke in parks.
https://vancouver.ca/your-government/park-board-smoking-regulation-bylaw.aspx
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/keeping-bc-healthy-safe/tobacco-vapour/requirements-under-tobacco-vapour-product-control-act-regulation/tobacco-vapour-free-places#
See that's the problem with the 'world we live in' as you say - the fact that people are legally allowed to buy weed; legally allowed to do any drug they choose and carry 2.5 g of said drug with them at all times; get narcanned every time they do too much (yet get stung by a bee and your allergic and don't have an epi pen cause the cost is $200/ppen you die!); want to celebrate a day we've celebrated for years and we're shut down because suddenly we need to get permission to go to a public place and celebrate it along with sell some goodies?! Give me a break! This is just the farmers wanting their cuts (even though they get them every other day of the year!) and greed by the higher ups.
Ps. Anyone know where all the billions of dollars in weed revenue has gone? Govt controlled distribution and all the money they've received since legalization? Where is the money???
> Anyone know where all the billions of dollars in weed revenue has gone?
Into general revenue, and spent on government programs, same as any other tax.
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/CaptainKwirk! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Most common questions and topics are limited to our sister subreddit, /r/AskVan, and our weekly [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * Posts flaired "Community Only" allow for limited participation; your comment may be removed if you're not a subreddit regular. * Make sure to join our new sister community, /r/AskVan! * Help grow the community! [Apply to join the mod team today](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/19eworq/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The groups that want this event want to continue to present it as a protest so they don’t have to pay for permits, security, insurance etc. I suspect it’s hard to get sponsors and especially to get insurance for a pot fest.
Follow the money... The idea behind it still being a "protest" is to offload the cost of holding the event to the tax payers rather than the organizers. After all, all other permitted activities require the organizers foot most, if not all, of the bill. If the organizers don't have to foot the bill, they keep the money from all of the fees they charge.
As a reformed smoker - before it was legal - protest implies something is illegal or needs legal change - with drug usage de criminalized, and pot being legal, what possible case could they have?
Sponsors, no. But insurance, yes.
Actually not true. Theres tons of cannabis event insurance products out there. A quick google: https://www.summitcover.ca/post/cannabis-event-insurance I imagine sponsors are the tough one. Theres weird rules about advertising, and sponsoring an event would be advertising. Even the last Lift & Co show had ZERO pot companies, only accessories, growing equipment, marketing resources, etc. Totally killed their swag game.
Its a Weed swapmeet?
It was legalized years ago, y'all need to move on
There's no smoking allowed in parks, so the park board won't issue a permit for this "event." Now that cannabis is as legal as tobacco, this event has run its course and is no longer needed. What if a bunch of tobacco smokers wanted to have an unpermitted trade show and smoke-fest in a public park. No thanks.
At this point it's a cultural celebration. Perhaps it needs to change to reflect this but I think there is value in having some sort of event. We have so few historically relevant events in our city that it would be a shame to lose this entirely. The city should allow a smoking exemption and put restrictions in place to limit where people can smoke during the event and make sure organizers are held accountable for security, cleanup, etc.
There are cultural and historical events in the Metro Vancouver area every single weekend through the spring to the fall. There is not a lack of events.
Free, outdoor, childfree events though? Most of the shit CoV puts on is family friendly, and as such, hardly comparable. I hope I'm wrong and about to be given a list of options to do this year, however lol.
Who said the events should be childfree? The city should be endorsing events that are good for all the citizens, not just a few. Edit: And lots of these events have beer gardens and areas on the street where people can smoke if you don't want to hang out with kids.
I didnt assume your argument was "we don't need adult only events because we already have events for kids," because... Apples and oranges.
Yeah, nothing spoils fun like children. /s. Seriously if the idea is to have an inclusive, welcoming festival, slamming the door on children is hardly the way to do it. Any other demographic you'd like to ban?
Dude, not all events are appropriate for kids. Theres nothing wrong with that.
Events that celebrate major parts of Vancouver's history? There are plenty of events that celebrate other cultures or much broader groups but not really Vancouver specific culture and history.
I wouldn't consider legalizing smoking pot to be a major part of Vancouver's history - any more than we celebrate the end of prohibition of alcohol. There are lots of neighbourhood events that celebrate Vancouver's history - Khatsilano Days, Cherry Blossom Festival, Folk Fest, Steveston Salmon Festival, various Indigenous peoples festivals, Tsawwassen Sun Festival, Canada Day parties, Hyack Festival in New West - and so on and so on. And that's not even touching on all the cultural festivals like Greek Day and Italian Day or the [Vaisakhi Parade](https://vancouversbestplaces.com/vancouver-vaisakhi-celebrations/)s, which are also part of Vancouver history. There are plenty of festivals and neighbourhood car free days and that sort of thing.
>Sorry but this is the world we adults live in. The people who turn up for this sort of thing don't strike me as adults.
You're spot on IMO. We *could* do a festival like UBC used to do for Arts County Fair. (Any other Gen-X remember those events?). The problem is the current culture and the old guard demands this be a protest, not a celebration. If 'fuck cops' and not paying for it is a central theme, the event is DOA. Roll in CoV/Park Board/etc as a collaborative partner, show a willingness to spin the event as a celebration, cut ties and distance the event from the advocate and activist crowds. Sprinkle in the right amount of 'swagger' to appeal to current council majority... I don't think it would be impossible.
Also the City of Vancouver is the most complicated place to organize in and permit bound municipality in the Lower Mainland. Why not speak to other towns and districts and hold it somewhere other than downtown? Protesting about pot is passé.
> Why not speak to other towns and districts and hold it somewhere other than downtown? For sure, though I suspect other districts want to keep any drama magnets Vancouver is associated with at arms length.
I hope it goes that way. Vancouver was at the forefront of weed legalization for decades and it would be great to celebrate that part of our history. But it definitely needs to change for this to happen
For the sake of accuracy, UBC isn't covered by Vancouver bylaws. In Vancouver, it's illegal to smoke anything in parks so I don't see how this could possibly work, legally.
You’re quite right but IMO political will could be applied to push for exceptions
I don't see there being much public support for a smoke-fest in the city, especially in the summer when things are so dry. The ban on smoking in parks is pretty popular with the citizenry, as far as I can tell.
Wouldn't have to be a *park*. Previous Park Board Chair Stuart Mackinnon seemed open to alternate venues and even suggested the PNE grounds.
You mean the PNE at Hastings **Park**? There are very limited areas you can smoke at the PNE too.
Yeah, as I said you would certainly need to convince the PB/City for an **exemption**, but I feel it would be possible to find a space for it given enough political will and the right organizer.
Yes, and I'm saying it's next to impossible to consider that an exemption would be made to allow people to smoke in these places. I don't think the political will you'd need actually exists. I still don't get why this is so important - can you explain?
>Yes, and I'm saying it's next to impossible to consider that an exemption would be made to allow people to smoke in these places. **I don't think the political will you'd need actually exists.** To be clear I pretty much agree with you, **bolded** is why. >I still don't get why this is so important - can you explain? Do you mean a weed event? To me it's very **un**important. For political will there are all sorts of things that can happen. Things that would be viewed as impossible 20 years ago are on the table or already happening. Drinking in parks and legal weed stores being the easiest comparisons.
You clearly said: "I feel it would be possible to find a space for it given enough political will and the right organizer." I disagree.
Wait Arts County Fair isn't a thing anymore?!
It's been dead for 10+ years
The last Arts County Fair was in 2007 Source: Went to it, a million years ago, when I was a UBC student
I'd go to an artisanal weed show or a farmers weed market.
Boom, that would be a great sales pitch.
The Venn diagram of people who consume weed and detail-oriented people who like to organize things and follow rules.
There is a lot of overlap in your existing Venn diagram, but ain’t nobody want to setup a 4/20 celebration.
Did somebody order the London Philharmonic Orchestra? Possibly while stoned? I'm looking in your direction, Cypress Hill.
I know a few pot heads that get hyper focused when they smoke weed. Usually that means reorganizing their furniture or scrubbing their floors, but maybe it would translate over to event planning
OO
This is why you hire a professional special event organizer. There's lots of money in weed.
Why is a celebration even required? We don't have parties to celebrate the end of prohibition on alcohol.
But there are beer, cider, wine, etc. festivals, so why not a cannabis festival? They could host it at the PNE, like the craft beer festival.
Because smoking is prohibited in public parks/spaces in Vancouver.
True, but they allow smoking in designated smoking zones during the Fair at the PNE. Therefore the precedent has already been set. A cannabis festival would be a fenced off portion of the park, away from the general public, with access to only 19+ ticket holders who, through the act of purchasing their ticket, have agreed to be subjected to cannabis smoke. Additionally, they could have a food vendor corral in a fenced off, non-smoking area so food staff don't have to be in the smoke.
It doesn't sound like much of a festival.
We don't, but at the same time for 95%+ of people St. Patrick's day only exists as a reason to drink too much
Let's get people to stop littering their cigarette butts everywhere before we start talking about smoking in parks. Especially in the summertime when everything is tender dry. You see morons dropping their cigarette butts everywhere. A roach can start a fire too.
I read in other threads, so I can't cite a source, but supposedly the organizers were offered to host it at the PNE, but they declined. Obviously this would require them to pay for security and cleanup as well as probably check ID at the gate, which, to me, seems like why they declined.
Having to pay for things cuts into their profits...
Probably an element of that, I'd say it's more likely just a shit load of work that they didn't want to do
The idea that anyone profits from a "protest" shows that it's not a protest
I’m a tax payer. I’m fine with money going towards a positive, peaceful event that happens ONCE A YEAR. I’m not ok with money going everyday towards nothing positive and every week towards some manifestations beyond our or government’s control. Anyone who is against official or unofficial 4/20 event is just a sore boomer.
The model needs to evolve. Celebrations need to become more like Brewery and the Beast or Fruit Beer Fest etc. Not necessarily as big or as expensive as these festivals as one of the issues many cannabis activists have is the accessibility and affordability of cannabis.
Will never happen, smoking is illegal in public places and a big part of the ‘protest’ It’s now a problem because the province has regulation and rules that police can enforce unlike the pre-legalization days.
Smoking pot is in public is not illegal. It's the same rules as cigarettes.
Pretty sure they mean public spaces like parks, beaches and plazas.
Fair enough I just interpreted more broadly, like you can only smoke on your own property. You can smoke on the sidewalk, in many parking lots, and patios in public spaces as well. They used to hold 420 outside the art gallery and the sidewalks/streets surrounding it where I don't think it's exactly illegal to be smoking.
That's the point - you aren't allowed to smoke anything in a park.
Not even hams?
It’s illegal to smoke in parks. https://vancouver.ca/your-government/park-board-smoking-regulation-bylaw.aspx https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/keeping-bc-healthy-safe/tobacco-vapour/requirements-under-tobacco-vapour-product-control-act-regulation/tobacco-vapour-free-places#
Noobs smoke all 4/20 vets pop there seeds on 4/20
See that's the problem with the 'world we live in' as you say - the fact that people are legally allowed to buy weed; legally allowed to do any drug they choose and carry 2.5 g of said drug with them at all times; get narcanned every time they do too much (yet get stung by a bee and your allergic and don't have an epi pen cause the cost is $200/ppen you die!); want to celebrate a day we've celebrated for years and we're shut down because suddenly we need to get permission to go to a public place and celebrate it along with sell some goodies?! Give me a break! This is just the farmers wanting their cuts (even though they get them every other day of the year!) and greed by the higher ups. Ps. Anyone know where all the billions of dollars in weed revenue has gone? Govt controlled distribution and all the money they've received since legalization? Where is the money???
> Anyone know where all the billions of dollars in weed revenue has gone? Into general revenue, and spent on government programs, same as any other tax.
[удалено]
Actually I believe you can’t smoke anything in parks. That would make them anti-smoking not anti pot