|
By JOHN GAMBA
Staff Writer
April 20, or 420, is a special day to some Canadians for a reason not all can really understand. Among many marijuana users, April 20 has become an unofficial holiday of sorts with a range of activities from protests to personal celebrations of marijuana culture with friends.
 Marijuana is now a readily available product to many users around the Niagara region. Photo by Jesse Carter
"The term ‘420,' once shrouded in mystery, began as a code
for marijuana among a group of students known as ‘The Waldos' at San
Rafael High School in Marin County, California. Throughout the ‘70s and
‘80s, the term spread through the relentless touring phenomenon that was
the Grateful Dead. All the while, The Waldos held small ceremonies on
April 20 at Mount Tam in Marin, Calif.," High Times reported on April 7,
2007.
The Highway 420 Anti-Prohibition Rally has taken place in
Niagara Falls, Canada, every year on a date close to April 20 for the
last seven years. On the rally website, hwy420.com, organizers present a
list of reasons why cannabis prohibition harms society.
In a report
published online, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health stated, "A
2000 study reported that 35 per cent of Ontarians over the age of 18 had
used cannabis at some point in their life, and 11 per cent of those who
had used it did so in the past year. A 1994 Canadian study reported
that about two per cent of the people surveyed used cannabis once a week
or more."
According to its website, Canadian Students for Sensible
Drug Policy (CSSDP) is a grassroots network of students who are
concerned about the negative impact drug policies have on individuals
and communities.
"All policies and programs aimed at reducing the
harms associated with drug use in society should address the issue as a
public health concern, not as a criminal justice issue. This has been
proven to be more effective by studies world-wide," CSSDP says.
"Drug
education is an empowerment. Young people should be provided with all
the information available and encouraged to make their own decisions
about their physical and mental health. All education should acknowledge
and respect young people's personal experience, a discussion that
should be approached only in a space of compassion and non-judgment."
Matt,
20, of Welland, who didn't want his last name used, has been using
marijuana since he was 13 years old, smoking it every day since he was
16 years old. Matt says he feels marijuana has both a positive and
negative influence on his life.
"One bad thing is the money. If you
smoke every day, it adds up over a period of time. Secondly, [there's]
the risk of getting in trouble due to the fact that weed is considered
an illegal drug in Canada. The worry is not needed as much here though.
Positively, I think it is good to help me to relax and enjoy many things
I like doing. I think personally it helps me get through the drag of
being 20 in a city like mine. It is socially accepted here, so it is
very common and popular among my friends."
Matt used to celebrate
420, but the day has lost its importance to him. "Before, when I was
younger, like high school years, it was popular among us. Now I could
not be bothered with it."
Matt says he enjoys surrounding himself
with like-minded marijuana users.
"My idea of the typical weed smoker
is a laid-back person, but I can't really classify these people because
so many people smoke and they have different ways on how they carry on
about it. My general type is a person who is laid back, likes to hang
out with friends, work, play, etc. Just like any other person."
Aaron,
24, a student in the Niagara region who also didn't want his last name
used, says he fondly recalls former 420s but has lost some of his
would-be holiday spirit. "I'd prefer not to mention the first 420 I
experienced. Let's just say my parents were out for the night, and a
lot of people got very high in an enclosed space normally reserved for
automobiles and old boxes of junk. It used to be special to me since it
was a time when a large group of people with many commonalties could
gather together and appreciate the green spirit in unity. However,
nowadays it seems a bit commercialized."
Aaron says that he believes
the people who use marijuana and not the plant itself would power a
marijuana movement.
"Marijuana breaks down the preconceptions and
prejudices that form the basis of people's conceptions and judgments of
reality. By undermining these conditioned behavioral characteristics,
the toker's mind is freed and allowed to experience the world in a
profoundly different manner. However, how they choose to act based on
such revelations is what really determines whether or not marijuana
should be considered a catalyst to counter-culture."
Aaron also says
he believes marijuana smokers are too diverse to be categorized.
"There
are no norms in our society. They are constructs that really have no
power over us if we choose to ignore them. Marijuana smokers are beyond
such generalizations."
|
