Pubdate: Thu, 24 Apr 2008
Source: NOW Magazine (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 NOW Communications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nowtoronto.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/282
Author: Matt Mernagh
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?420 (Cannabis - Popular)

PURRING AT PUFF PARTY

Toke-In Has More Takers Than Earth Day Rally

Amazing pot smog hangs hazily in the sunny afternoon during Toronto 
Hash Mob's second successful smoke-out on Sunday, April 20, better 
known as 4/20.

By 4:20 pm, almost 2,000 stoners fill our makeshift auditorium behind 
College Park at 420 Yonge.

They come to blaze. Standing three deep on steps leading onto a dry 
outdoor skating rink, enthusiasts wave their weed.

Our message to Stephen Harper, "We Got High! We Got High! We Got 
High!" Here we are a block away from police headquarters, and no one 
is arrested. Uniformed Toronto police officers just pretend our 
peaceful act of civil disobedience isn't happening.

If the city would only grant our request for regulation and local 
taxation of marijuana sales, we could stop these awkward moments for them.

Soon, I take the makeshift podium and lay out the smoke-out ground 
rules. There shall be plentiful peaceful public puffing. Most 
importantly, no violence.

"If you are here to hurt anyone, break property or embarrass 
organizers in front of the media, you are a narc pig bastard," I say. 
Attendees howl understandingly. Moments later, a stoner in a 
superhero-size bong costume arrives. The growing gathering erupts in 
approval. He poses. Flexes muscles. Then a puff of smoke goes out his 
top. More roaring.

The socializing is extensive, but it comes with prohibition 
precautions. So many beautiful bud babes, but one or two of them, 
sadly, will be narcs.

Experience teaches me a few undercovers are posing as potheads. They 
are probably angling to cop any amount of cannabis - shared or sold 
doesn't matter. For anyone offering some, that's a trafficking charge.

But this requires collection of evidence (i.e., giving a guy or gal 
ganja), not footage of stoners publicly puffing. Two try to fish us. 
One's polite and friendly, but then a downright annoying fellow keeps 
pestering.

"Dude, you just asked the organizers for weed. That's not cool," an 
activist who calls himself Goodster reprimands him between puffs.

It's easy to dismiss the strategic value of this bong-fest. But, 
really, the apolitical are politicized here. They're not going to 
attend boring city council debates, pro-pot forums or put their names 
on a petition.

It's not weed making them lazy. The politicos have trouble mustering 
their own tuned-in troops today. That's what I conclude when I visit 
the 300-strong noon-hour Yonge-Dundas Square Earth Day rally. Guess 
Jack Layton isn't much of a draw compared to doobies in a park.

The tuned-in have to start accepting the horde of turned-on, or we're 
all going to drop out. With Tories taking on tokers, Toronto Hash Mob 
will take on the Tories by toking more publicly than ever. Just smell for us.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom