420 Meaning: Thousands Gather to Promote Marijuana, Many More Just Smoke It

By: Edecio Martinez
Topics: Daily Blotter

Americans are spacing out on 420 Day.

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) 420, 4:20 or 4/20, is a number used by many to denote smoking marijuana and pot smokers from Denver to Durango are gathering today, April 20, to say "Happy 420" and call for the drug's legalization.

The festivities in Denver include a daylong rally in Civic Center Park. The Denver event will include remarks from the director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

An unauthorized public smoking event is expected to draw thousands on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. And in Durango, an evening concert is planned to promote a proposal to decriminalize marijuana in small amounts for adults.

But before anyone considers doing anything illegal today, perhaps they should consider this.

In a poll conducted by the Associated Press and CNBC, 55 percent of Americans oppose legalizing marijuana and only 33 percent support it. Those numbers flip flopped for people under 30 with 54 percent in favor of legalizing the drug and 39 percent against.

Support for medical marijuana was widespread, the poll found. Sixty percent were in favor of medical marijuana and 74 percent believe the drug has a medical benefit. Fourteen states already permit medical marijuana. South Dakota will vote on the issue this fall.

The AP-CNBC poll was conducted April 7-12 and involved interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide.

Crimesider wants to know what you think America. Should marijuana be legal?

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by srajher June 25, 2010 12:00 AM EDT

No we shouldn't legalize pot for a number of reasons. It is a controlled substance and is also a drug soon to be assigned a DIN. POT is potentially dangerous to some that use it. Yes it should be made available to those who can benefit from it for pain relief for cancer patients but not for recreational use. Adults can do what they want but teens and children need to stay away from it. See www.**********.net for a dads point of view.

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by OBONECANOB August 5, 2010 12:11 PM EDT: Albert Einstein said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Similar to America's obsession to wars, the "WAR ON DRUGS" is not only a failure; it's $1 Trillion price tag has created 10 million more American's snorting, swallowing, injecting and smoking issicit drugs.
President Nixon's $100 million per year drug war in 1971 is now costing over $15 Billion tax dollars per year. The wasted and unsuccessful $33 Billion spent on the "JUST SAY NO" program has created 20,000 more drug overdoses each year since this war started. Your U.S. government has spent $450 Billion locking up mostly non-violent citizens. $215 Billion on overburdened justice systems, lost productivity and environmental destruction. America will criticise China for human rights, but has locked up 2.3 Million of it's own citizens for such things as smoking a medicinal plant. The U.S. spent $6 Billion in Colombia to eradicate the cultivation of coca and trafficking, but they simply moved to Mexico along with it's violence. The biggest drug addiction in America is to the drug war profits and the industries and corrections corporatings that it has spawned. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol and now the drug prohibition only funds nasty Mexican and Taliban gangs and cartels. Is it worth it - I think not. The Billions of drug war dollars would go a very long way to help with prevention and treatment, but like any other war - there's just to much greed and profit for any common sense approach. BTW - I am a happy "old fart" at 68, and have smoked pot off and on for 45 years; successfully retired, living 6 months in a peaceful Costa Rica and the other here in the "Land of the less free and home of the over taxed". PEACE AND LOVE ARE THE REAL ANSWERS!!!


by PaulStone2000 April 24, 2010 10:59 AM EDT: We repealed alcohol prohibition due to the massive increase in violent crime and economic burden it caused. Does this sound familiar? The USA should legalize marijuana. We would take 70% of the profits away from drug cartels while saving on enforcement AND collecting taxes.

The fact is, marijuana is SAFER than alcohol and less addictive than caffeine. Google the Henningfield Benowitz chart.

The LD50 is the median Lethal Dose for adults - i.e. 50% of adults would die if this amount is consumed in a short period.

The LD50 for marijuana is 250,000 times the usual smoked dose. In contrast, the LD50 for alcohol is about 15 times the usual dose. With alcohol, 15 shots in 15 minutes will kill 50% of adults.

This is America. We owe ourselves the FREEDOM of choice. Don't drive Americans to drink. Think SAFER!

Also, Google "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition", MPP - the "Marijuana Policy Project", and the "Drug Policy Alliance" to learn more and to help out.; Reply to this comment


by propitiation April 22, 2010 9:50 AM EDT: LOL! 86% of the people that took that CBS Poll think that Pot should be legalized.

You really should consider that picture above, Pot with the Star Ship Enterprise! You are going to be smoking dope trying to get away from you problems, trying to find your Eden, and in the end you will poison yourselves and die.

The guy with the funky guitar..."...No more worries for your body or your mind..."

From a right-wing Christian perspective all these drugs are a substitute for the Christian experience called The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing like that experience!; Reply to this comment


by steviepothead April 21, 2010 6:29 PM EDT: Dearest Federal Government,

Your antiquated laws against the legalization of marijuana is, well, just that, antiquated...outdated. Kindly do us all the favor of legalizing it as weed is not nearly as harmful as, say, alcohol, or prescription drugs. You'll also be getting back taxes from it, and putting drug dealers out of business. Think of the ecosystem created around marijuana...you have your growers, and then you have your suppliers (that is, people that sell the necessary supplies needed to grow weed), and you have your buyers. Business income tax on suppliers and sellers, and sales tax on buyers. It's a win-win. It also brings people together. Check out the photos on Clixtr: http://clixtr.com/5tdi

Sincerely,
Sensible People; Reply to this comment


by FauxNews April 21, 2010 5:00 PM EDT: They are celebrating Hitler's Birthday.; Reply to this comment

by bearsfaninoh April 21, 2010 4:56 PM EDT

Do a study on pot smokers. I bet you will find that they are the least productive members of society.

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by retiredgustav April 21, 2010 6:11 PM EDT: You must be a drug dealer wanting to keep it illegal.


by jmvette23 April 21, 2010 8:38 PM EDT: You are 100% correct. I had an employee who was so smart but after using marijuana for a few years he forgot everything and the bad thing he used to brag and say it proudly that it's because he smoked and pot heads are known to forget things a lot. I fired him after I found out he was smoking it since I caught him high. Medical reasons should probably be the only reason it should be legalized nationwide.

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by jankebenzone April 21, 2010 4:21 PM EDT

420 actually stands for different terms than many believe. 42 represents the IQ level that the long term pot smoker sinks to, and 0 represents the level of life standards one sinks to when succumbing to the eventual use of hard drugs after pot. Just ask druggies what they started on.

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by lepageman8 April 22, 2010 6:40 AM EDT: wow how ignorant can you get!?


by jd2408 April 21, 2010 11:02 AM EDT: I have never smoked pot or taken an illegal drug in my life but I am in favor of legalizing this one. It could be treated the same as alcohol and from what I understand the police dept can test for it. This would be a big step in reducing the violence in Mexico and on the border. It would free up a lot of time to prevent dangerous drugs. The government can put a tax on it so it would help the economy. Lets face it, pot is so widely used that it will never be eliminated or even reduced.; Reply to this comment


by enough-already April 21, 2010 10:38 AM EDT: I'm 57, I've been smoking weed since I was 13. I've held the same job for the past 16 years, I am happily married, own a small 3 bedroom home, pay all my bills on time, have a very good credit score, overall a happy, law-abiding life. Smoking weed does not turn people into worthless druggies whose sole purpose is to get high. A lot of my friends are just like me- married, full-time job for years, pay their bills, etc. Just legalize it, for cripes sake!; Reply to this comment

by parisdakar April 21, 2010 9:34 AM EDT

At least now it's easy. Anywhere, anytime, buy it, sell it, use it, it's all illegal. If you legalize it what are the rules? It won't be 100% legal all the time, of course, just some of the time. So, how much could you smoke and drive a car? How do the police test you if they think you've been smoking? What about "smoke breaks" at work? And on and on... How much time and money will be spent figuring out and enforcing all the new rules for pot, in addition to enforcing what would still be illegal? It's a huge can of worms, that we don't need to open now.

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by tedg22 April 21, 2010 11:35 AM EDT: If it were me I'd treat it just like alcohol, it would be simple to enforce the same way. No smoking at work or while driving (there are no alcohol drink breaks at work are there?). Police could do field sobriety tests just like they do now. It's already illegal to drive under the influence of anything anyways, so I don't understand your argument. As far as spending time and money enforcing the laws which would regulate marijuana, they already spend 50 Billion dollars per year doing that, only difference will be instead of the Mexican drug cartels profiting off of it, the tax payers will reap the windfall of new taxes. People already smoke pot, it being illegal stops no one from smoking it, it's available already in every city, town and PRISON anywhere in the United States.


by parisdakar April 21, 2010 3:30 PM EDT: No you can drink and drive, but you can't be over the "legal limit", which is easily testable with a breathalizer. What's the "legal limit" for pot, and how would you test for it on the side of the road? Agencies and medical people and politicians will have to figure that all out. And pot being illegal stops no one from smoking it? Wrong. If you find yourself suddenly out of a job, and your drug test for a new job comes up positive, you lose the new job. So if you're smart, you stop the pot altogether, cause you never know in this economy when you might find yourself on the bricks.