Thousands of marijuana enthusiasts are expected to fill Civic Center park on Saturday at Denver’s 420 Rally.
, which lasts from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., will feature free performances from Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa. Organizers expect more than 100,000 people to flock to the park, where around 250 vendors will set up shop to promote all things cannabis.
for April 16, but organizers said snowy weather and “circumstances beyond our control,” led them to reschedule.
Miguel Lopez, the rally’s organizer who originally insisted that the show would go on rain or shine, said postponing would allow for a “bigger and better show,” on a nicer day.
Denver police are also expected to have a large presence in the park Saturday and will issue citations for public consumption of marijuana. While recreational use was legalized in Colorado with the passage of Amendment 64 in 2012, it remains illegal to consume it in public. At last year’s rally, which lasted two days, police issued more than 150 citations. On April 20 this year, when thousands gathered in Civic Center to celebrate, police issued about 60 citations for marijuana.
will roll out a “Slow-Speed Chase” involving a patrol car and a vehicle decked out in a marijuana motif. The cars will circle the rally as part of a driving safety campaign.
This awareness project takes aim at driving while high, and includes informational materials including posters and rolling papers at dispensaries statewide.
Nearly one in five DUIs involves marijuana, according to the Colorado State Patrol. CDOT’s “guerilla marketing tactic” involving the circling vehicles also will feature safety messages about pot use.
Fifty-five percent of marijuana users drove high an average of seven days per month according to a self-reported CDOT survey conducted last year.
The campaign adds to the agency’s broader “Drive High, Get a DUI” push to cut down drug-related crashes and fatalities across the state.
Katy Canada: 303-954-1043, kcanada@denverpost.com or @KatySusanna
