Light It Up for the Seniors

Posted by Cynical Sarah on May 12, 2006

I had a job interview last week. It’s normal to occasionally see or smell a little pot being smoked downtown, but somehow I managed to walk through two big clouds of it on my way to the interview.

Lucky me … there’s nothing like a little pot smoke to impress a potential employer. I smelled like I’d been lighting up, but it’s possible I was actually a little calmer than normal for the interview.

It seemed odd that there were so many people out that day breaking the drug laws. Then I found out later that it was the annual 420 celebration. Some pothead had dreamed up a little idea that on April 20, 4/20, at 4:20 in the afternoon, marijuana smokers would gather at the museum downtown to all light up at once.

It was only just before 3 p.m. when I was heading to my interview, so obviously there were quite a few people who were killing time with a little weed too while they were waiting for 4:20 to roll around.

Why in the world would people risk participating in a big public use of an illegal substance. Vancouver is supposed to be cracking down on drug use out in the open like that. I guess the museum must be some sort of sacred ground though since I didn’t hear about any arrests or citations or anything like that as hundreds of people toked up that day. Of course, this is BC, land of the premium bud, so that probably makes a difference too.

The whole situation was a little bizarre to me. I’ve never had an inclination to use drugs, and pot smoke makes me gag, so I just don’t get it. But what seemed even more bizarre was that after my interview, the streets were also flooded with senior citizens.

Hundreds of well-dressed old people were out roaming the streets as part of some guided senior tour of the downtown area. Was it a coincidence this was about the same time as the annual 420? I don’t think so.

Somebody was thinking when they planned this little trip. From what I understand, it’s an extremely difficult process to get approved to use marijuana for medicinal use in Canada. So what better way to get a little second hand “medicinal” therapy than a trip downtown during a pot rally?

Basically hundreds of old people got a second-hand buzz to treat their glaucoma or arthritis or whatever ailment they would want to treat for free and without the hassle of filling a prescription.

Now I can’t wait for the annual “Cannabis Day” to test this theory. I’ll have to brave the crowds of normal Canada Day celebrators and head downtown. Perhaps the seniors will be out in force again taking advantage of the free pharmaceuticals and prove right.

- Sarah L. Polson

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