Will 4/20 in the future become less of a 420 festival?

Jay Lauren
What happens after marijuana becomes just as accessible as liquor? In the not-too-distant future, will 4/20 simply become a day to discuss marijuana? A look at what’s happening in Colorado on 4/20 suggests marijuana’s “holiday” is beginning to take on new meaning.
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April 20th in the past was a day when rallies brought out people by the 1000’s and authorities looked the other way in regards to public display and consumption. There are still plenty of events in “420 Friendly” venues that are celebrating, but it’s not all a festival atmosphere this year.
Having released the genie from the bottle, authorities in Denver now appear intent on putting the lid back on. In February, Adams County authorities denied High Times a permit to hold the Cannabis Cup at the Denver Mart this year, citing concerns about on-site consumption of marijuana at the event, which is illegal in Colorado. On Saturday, Denver saw their main event – the 420 Rally at the Civic Center – postponed “due to weather and circumstances beyond its control”, after the Civic Center Park was closed to the public for the day.
Authorities are not the only ones changing tunes. Instead of locking down campus or beefing up police to avoid smoke-outs that had been attracting thousands of students, Colorado University at Boulder is hosting a symposium on cannabis this year. “In hope of transforming the previous 4/20 protest on campus,” the Symposium on 4/20 “will promote public education, personal safety, and political engagement” at a non-consumption event that is open to the public.  Similarly, the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law is holding a Marijuana Summit on 4/20. The Marijuana Summit “will offer a comprehensive discussion on recent developments related to marijuana legalization, highlighting the latest updates on the scientific evolution of marijuana, particularly in the fields of psychology and biology.”
Given the environment where marijuana sale and use is legal for anyone over 21, we are interested to see how the only protest planned for this week will come off. Organized by the Capital Hill Cannabis Activists Assembly, and scheduled for Wednesday (4/20) from 1-6pm at Denver’s Civic Center Park, the stated goal of the event makes clear how the discussion has changed: “What do we have left to fight for after legalization? NORMALIZATION. We face new enemies in cannabis, from giant corporate interests to lackluster political representation, and lack of safe places to consume…the fight is far from over.”
But this urge to protest, rally, support, and “blaze up” in defiance of authorities might become very different once you can have your marijuana, and eat it too. We don’t see news coverage with images of massive crowds double-fisting in support of National Beer Day (April 7). And we wonder: will there ever come a day when 4:20 on 4/20 isn’t greeted by a puff of smoke?