Pubdate: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Vancouver 24 hrs. Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837 Author: Jeremy McKay Page: 3 420 EVENT HIGH ON FED LIBERAL VOTE Justin Trudeau's face featured prominently at Vancouver event Thousands of activists and enthusiasts gathered in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery for the annual 420 rally to protest prohibition against pot and celebrate their love for marijuana. Over 300 registered vendors were at the event selling everything from B.C. Bud to marijuana-infused ice cream - that number doesn't include the vendors walking around the rally peddling their goods. "We're now seeing double the amount of attention in vender booths," said event co-ordinator Jeremiah Vandermeer. This year's theme was "Let's Grow the Vote" to encourage those attending the rally to vote in October's federal elections. "It's great to get out here and celebrate, but it's still political and we still have to change the law. We have to get out and vote," said Jodie Emery. She said this year's banner of the Zig-Zag package of Justin Trudeau's face is encouragement to get those attending the rally to vote for the Liberal party. This is the first rally that so-called "Prince of Pot" Marc Emery has attended since his release from U.S. prison in August after serving a five-year sentence for selling marijuana seeds to U.S. citizens. "It's different to have the city actually co-operate with us. Usually it's civil disobedience, we now have an interesting grey zone," said Jodie Emery. Vancouver saw its first rally in 1995 at Victory Square with 200 people in attendance. Twenty years later saw an estimated 30,000 in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery in 2014. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt