420 in Vancouver, Canada 2019

Now that the smoke has settled, I’ve climbed out of the garbage wreckage of all the food I’ve consumed and my eyes have returned back to their usual shade. It feels like a good time to share the experience of 420 in Vancouver, Canada 2019! And what an experience indeed! I have had my fair share of large crowds before, the largest for myself being Semana Santa in the Dominican Republic in a little town called Cabarete. A small town of about 1,000 people transforms into a crazy 50,000+ people. Now at the 420 rallies in Vancouver, there were an estimated 65,000 attendees. Which I don’t doubt that there was! Especially since Cypress Hill was headlining a free show!

So my roommate Katie, Surely; our mascot for the day and myself set off for Sunset Beach for the shenanigans that were sure to ensue! With snacks in our bags, water bottles full, some pre-rolled joints, a trusty lighter and even more snacks. We guaranteed, were heading in a good direction! Following the mass crowds, we eventually made our way down the stairs to Sunset beach. Where 1,000’s of fellow consumers were also toting bags of snacks while sparking the obligatory welcome to the party joints! Upon entry to the beach, what one could only assume was a group of newbies hacking away at their first joint welcomed us to the beach. One male, in particular, was coughing like he just came out of a burning building. I remember my first hoot! Ah, sweet, sweet memories.

Surely the Gnome at Sunset Beach

Once we got onto the main grounds, we set off to find a spot on the sand to smoke a joint before exploring all the vendors – and let me tell you, there were hundreds of vendors! Vendors selling dry herb, concentrates, pre-rolled joints and blunts. An assortment of edibles, snacks and beverages, as well as 420 merchandise. The beach was crowded with fellow joint partakers and navigating around them to find a spot to sit was quite the task. We eventually found a space to sit near some young teenagers who’d set up a small gathering section for them and their friends. The sun was shining, Surely was already toking and from behind us, we could hear the sweet melodies of reggae music over the systems. The joint however could not burn fast enough. The youngster’s we’d sat next to were…loud and annoying. Unfortunately, I am at that age where I find teens annoying. Shouting obscenities about how much you can smoke isn’t attractive or desirable. Cool it kiddos.

420 in Vancouver – Magic Mushrooms!?

After the joint and making our escape away from the underage hooligans, we set back to exploring all the vendors. Dry herb was incredibly well priced – with grams as low as $5. Concentrates were relatively the same as you’d find them online, $20 a gram. While joints were priced at $5 or 4 for $15 and blunts ranged around $10. But the big taker was the magic mushrooms. Woman in obvious “hippy” clothing had bags of magic mushroom chocolates wrapped in tinfoil. With various flavours as well, salted caramel or peanut butter. One hippy enticed us over with her shirtless attire and marijuana leaf stickers covering her exposed nipples. We purchased one mushroom chocolate, salted caramel flavour to split between the two of us. Thank god we decided to split the chocolate rather than each eat a whole one. Because boy oh boy, once they hit, were we ever flying high.

420 in Vancouver – Cypress Hill

As stated previously, Cypress Hill played a free concert and there was no way I was missing that! So after we scarfed our mushroom chocolate and almost got separated in the huge crowd. We found ourselves at the base of the hill surrounding the stage that people had already begun sitting on in anticipation of the concert beginning. We slinked and slithered thru the sitting crowd to a bare spot of grass we’d spotted and set up camp with Surely’s guide. 420 was upon us and the growing excitement could be felt throughout the crowd.

An announcer came over the speakers and the countdown to 420 was on! 10, 9, 8…4, 3, 2, 1!!! Every person in the crowd lit a joint, blunt, bong, pipe, dabbing rig or whatever type of paraphernalia they’d brought for the joyous occasion. The once clear blue sky was now foggy in a smoke induced haze. Not long afterwards Cypress Hill came on, but not till their DJ played a 40-minute intro and then, unfortunately. Continued to play while Cypress Hill was on. I don’t know about any other attendees, but I came for Cypress Hill. Not for DJ get off the stage.

420 in Vancouver – The Come Down

With the mushrooms having already taken their effect. The somewhat mellow beats of Cypress Hill finished and the terrible DJ taking control of the sound system with their awful beats. It was time to leave the hill and venture back to the main grounds. We climbed the hill up to the street and made our way back down the stairs to the many vendors and the awaiting beach. However, walking thru the vendors again the mushrooms took a second hold and we were washed over by a new wave of altered reality. Each pulse from the bass over the sound system was like a shove to my calf, shoulder, arm – it was exhilarating. But also very intense with the thousands of thousands of other attendees walking around. We decided to walk to the sea bus from there and enjoy the rest of the trip in the comfort of our own backyard.

After a very awkward cab ride back to North Van. We’d made it back to our hobbit hole where we promptly laid on my dog Nala’s bed and smoked the second blunt we’d purchased. Altogether, this 420 in Vancouver experience was definitely one for the books! By far the largest 420 crowds I have ever had the pleasure of being in. The crowd was laid back, there was no fights or altercations. Just a bunch of happy hippies puffing away on the “devils lettuce” as one of my longest friends calls it!