Marijuana users light up for 4-20 in Saskatchewan ahead of legalization

Marijuana users gathered in Saskatoon and Regina Friday in what will likely be the final 4-20 without legalized recreational marijuana.

Jeffrey Lundstrom, owner of Skunk Funk Smoker’s Emporium, describes 4-20 as “the greatest day on Earth for a pothead.”

Others know it as the day Canadians gather peacefully in an act of civil disobedience and publicly smoke marijuana at 4:20 p.m.

“I don’t think that (police) will ever stop pushing their envelope of the law until they’re actually told that they won’t have to anymore,” Lundstrom said.

By April 20, 2019, recreational marijuana is expected to be legal in Canada.

Clayton Peeteetuce was among the roughly 100 people gathered in civic square outside Saskatoon city hall Friday.

The 41-year-old marijuana user of 24 years said 4-20 will continue as an annual tradition following legalization.

“It’s going to make it more incredible,” he said.

In Regina, around 150 people lit up in Victoria Park on what some people consider the final ‘true 4-20.’

“4-20 is still going to be 4-20,” Kurtis Sanderson said.

“It’s going to be bigger, gianter (and) everyone is going to be down here. There’s going to be a lot of people you wouldn’t think of being down here.”

While sentiment toward legalized marijuana may be warming, researchers are to trying to catch up with legalization, according to Jerome Konecsni, executive-in-residence with the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan.

“As long as it’s illicit, it’s difficult to generate investment and resources to actually conduct any research,” Konecsni said.

The federal government has disclosed it won’t meet its deadline of marijuana legalization by July 1, though it is expected by the end of the summer.