Stocked with five-cent candies, balloons and cannabis, Regina pot shop Tweed is celebrating the first 4-20 since Canada legalized marijuana.
“I call it cannabis Christmas,” said Tweed project manager Evan Anderson. “It’s really a day that people spend with friends, with community and it’s a time of sharing.”
Historically, April 20 is a day for the cannabis community to light up at 4:20 p.m. and celebrate marijuana. The day was also previously marked by political rallies to advocate for cannabis legalization, and groups often gathered in Regina’s Victoria Park or on the Saskatchewan legislature grounds.
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“For different people, (4-20) symbolizes different things,” Anderson said. “As of late, a lot of people just see it as an important day for legalization, and in the past, that’s what it really was. Now that we are in a state where we are legal, it will be interesting to see what it will transform into.”
The federal government legalized recreational marijuana on Oct. 17, 2018. Six months later, there are questions about what 4-20 will look like in the future.
“There’s no need to (protest) anymore,” said Tweed shop manager Falon Rothe. “It’s just out in the open. We’re all here and we’re just really happy that we can consume cannabis in a legal manner.”
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Despite the long weekend, a steady stream of customers rolled into Tweed’s Albert Street location.
“It’s been really busy. We had quite the lineup when we first came in,” Rothe said.
Rothe says many customers aren’t planning to protest in the park this year but, rather, celebrate with house parties, barbecues and backyard activities.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of really happy people, just really great community spirit for the cannabis fans. Everyone’s just really excited that it’s finally legalized now,” said Rothe.
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Regina police say it will be business as usual for officers as they aren’t aware of any planned demonstrations.
“I think our enforcement is going to look much as it did last Saturday and the Saturday after April 20,” said Regina police spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich. “Certainly, we’ll respond to any calls for service or any complaints we receive, but typically, there isn’t some different kind of resource plan for (4-20).”
Popowich says police want to remind everyone that while possession and consumption of cannabis are legal, it’s against the law to consume it in public places.
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