By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

Lethbridge group to hold first ever 4-20 celebration at Galt Gardens

Mar 15, 2017 | 12:15 PM

LETHBRIDGE –  UPDATE: Lethbridge Police spokesperson Kristen Harding has provided a statement to Lethbridge News Now:

“As with any public rally our priority is to keep the peace and ensure the safety of everyone involved, but we cannot condone illegal activity.

We will deal with any criminal offences as we always do – on a case by case basis.”

 According to the Federal Government, if pot is legalized in July of 2018, anyone over the age of 18 would be able to legally possess or share up to 30 grams of legal dried cannabis, grow up to four plants and make home made products as well.

You can find out more, here: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/justice/legalization-regulation-marijuana.html

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For the first time ever, there will be a 4-20 celebration held at Galt Gardens this year, instead of a small protest on the steps of City Hall.

What is 4-20? It’s an event celebrating cannabis culture and the consumption and use of marijuana in its various forms. It began in California in the early 1970s then spread as a kind of counter culture event, across North America.

It is now considered to be much more of a mainstream event held every year in cities around the world including Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Seattle, San Francisco, Colorado, London and Amsterdam.

Local event organizer Fiona Doherty believes it’s important to try and change the perception of cannabis consumers in southern Alberta.

“Being able to put on an event like this will hopefully show the community at large that we, the cannabis community are a part of the community as well. We are part of the city. We are not bad people. We are just like everybody else. Everybody that you know, knows someone, or is related to someone, or loves someone who uses cannabis.”

Doherty says in Lethbridge, the population has been somewhat secluded from exposure to a broader-scale cannabis culture compared to cities like Vancouver or Victoria.

“We don’t have a vapour lounge here, we don’t have a dispensary here,” she explains. “All we have are small groups of people who come together and do our best.”

She is hoping Lethbridge Police will allow them to consume and celebrate freely and peacefully on April 20th, as law enforcement in other cities generally does for 4-20 celebrations.

“What I’m anticipating is police cooperation. They don’t want to have to arrest people. They want to work with us to make our event successful. And we want to work with them to ensure they don’t have to arrest anybody.”

B.C. pot activist and multi-millionaire lottery winner Bob Erb is funding this year’s event. He has dedicated some of his fortune to promoting the legalization of marijuana.

Doherty says the event will begin at 2 p.m. and will feature local artists, live bands, food and beverage vendors, and several guest speakers including former Federal Liberal Party Candidate Michael Pyne.