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Reefer Madness
Potheads celebrate Stoners' New Year
Rochelle Squires | Winnipeg Sun | 04/21/2006

Puff the magic dragon landed on the front lawn of the Manitoba Legislature yesterday.

More than 1,000 stoners converged onto the government lawn on Broadway to smoke a doobie and salute the high times of 4-20 (April 20), or Stoner's New Year, as it's known in "greener" circles.

"The folklore behind 4-20 is that it became a secret signal between rock stars," said Manitoba Marijuana Party president Chris Buors, adding if you hear someone say it's 4:20, that means it's time to light up.

"If you look at the album Boston, the song Smokin' is exactly four minutes and twenty seconds long," he added.

Police looked on.

Buors said the 4-20 event is a 15-year tradition and celebrated around the world.

The avid pot smoker wasn't worried about getting busted and it didn't appear as though anyone else was.

The crowd, many from the teenage set, openly took pulls on bongs, pipes and marijuana cigarettes while police and government security officials looked on.

"Let's celebrate the great cannabis god," yelled one anonymous pothead before putting a lighted joint between his lips.

There were about four officers assigned to the task of ensuring the 1,000-plus demonstration remained peaceful. The size of the crowd prevented them from being able to stop people from smoking the illegal substance in public.

It appears no arrests were made as a result of the demonstration.

"Traditionally the police have never bothered the political rally," said Buors. "The police are standing on the stairs of the Legislature having an eyeball on everything and obviously the air's thick with cannabis."

Buors, clad in a Beatles T-shirt and jeans, said he loves to smoke pot for "ceremonial enrichment purposes."

Travis Desbines also had good things to say about the substance and was happy to be a part of the event.

"I'm a stoner and this is what I love to do," said Desbines.

Unlike last year, an appeal to legalize marijuana was not at the forefront of yesterday's demonstration.

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