{"id":8220,"date":"2018-04-20T19:53:58","date_gmt":"2018-04-20T19:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=3024970"},"modified":"2018-04-20T19:53:58","modified_gmt":"2018-04-20T19:53:58","slug":"less-politics-more-commercial-touches-changes-big-and-small-evident-at-denvers-420-festival-as-marijuana-industry-takes-control-of-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/less-politics-more-commercial-touches-changes-big-and-small-evident-at-denvers-420-festival-as-marijuana-industry-takes-control-of-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Less politics, more commercial touches: Changes, big and small, evident at Denver\u2019s 4\/20 festival as marijuana industry takes control of event"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/less-politics-more-commercial-touches-changes-big-and-small-evident-at-denvers-420-festival-as-marijuana-industry-takes-control-of-event\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p>Despite 364 days of chaos \u2014 a rumpus over rubbish, a mad dash for permits and, ultimately, a change in organizers \u2014 a cloud of marijuana smoke rose again over Denver\u2019s Civic Center park on Friday at 4:20 p.m., the now-ritual marking of the city\u2019s annual 4\/20 cannabis festival.<\/p>\n<p>Building afternoon storm clouds yielded spitting rain and blustering winds at the titular time. But that did not dampen enthusiasm at one of the country\u2019s best-known 4\/20 events. Organizers estimated that 70,000 people \u2014 more than they expected \u2014 attended the event, although an official crowd size was not possible. Long lines leading into the event stretched down the blocks around the park as 4:20 p.m. approached.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the only holiday we like,\u201d said Bre Grover, 21, of Nunn. \u201cI think the hippies of the \u201960s would\u2019ve been proud.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\">[embedded content]<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Except, the hippies of the \u201960s would have little recognized some of the more commercial touches at this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, the industry took direct control of the festival. Last year, the event\u2019s longtime permit-holder,\u00a0Miguel Lopez, received a three-year ban and drew angry comments from Denver officials\u00a0after the city woke on April 21 to\u00a0a disheveled, trash-strewn mess\u00a0in the park. After\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverite.com\/denver-420-permit-new-hands-45911\/\">a literal race through the halls<\/a> of the Wellington Webb building and a contested permitting fight, the dispensary chain Euflora\u00a0won the right to host this year\u2019s festival, now called\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2018\/04\/20\/2018-mile-high-420-festival\/\">the Mile-High 420 Festival<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That change revealed itself in ways big and small.<\/p>\n<p>There were more entrances into the event this year and more visible security guards. Workers in orange T-shirts buzzed around sweeping up trash.<\/p>\n<p>In a brief interview amid the crowd, Denver Police Chief Robert White called the event \u201cwell organized.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going really well so far,\u201d he said. \u201cI just hope that continues on through the night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also changed were some of the more overt political goals of the festival when it was run by Lopez, who viewed it first and foremost as a political rally to call for the end to marijuana prohibition. (Lopez could not be reached for comment Friday.)<\/p>\n<p>There were few \u2014 if any \u2014 booths staffed by political causes.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, there were companies selling clothing, smoking accessories, cultivation equipment and food. The Colorado Department of Transportation staffed one booth discouraging stoned driving.\u00a0 There was a beer garden. Giant turkey legs \u2014 that staple of Denver\u2019s festival circuit \u2014 were a popular item.<\/p>\n<p>Those in attendance, though, retained the same energetic belief in marijuana\u2019s virtues. Sporting tie-dye gear, pot-leaf garlands and wide grins, many began pouring into the park before noon.\u00a0Pot smoke wafted in the breeze for blocks around the downtown park \u2014 despite signs posted inside the event by the Marijuana Industry Group reminding revelers that public consumption is illegal, even on 4\/20.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is part of a responsible use campaign by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MJIndGroup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MJIndGroup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/420denver?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#420denver<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dkrrypzkeA\">pic.twitter.com\/dkrrypzkeA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 John Ingold (@johningold) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/johningold\/status\/987421802484776960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAll smoking is done behind closed doors in New Jersey,\u201d said Kenny Dykes, 20. \u201cComing here makes me want to leave New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police issued several citations for public consumption, White said, although he did not have the exact number. Other revelers \u2014 such as one who gave his name only as Josh \u2014 got off with just warnings. State Patrol troopers walking the park made him dump out his bong.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt kinda sucks,\u201d Josh said. \u201cC\u2019mon. It\u2019s 4\/20!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was his first 4\/20 in Denver, he said.<\/p>\n<p>That was true of many in attendance.<\/p>\n<p>Boulder resident Petra Stojanovic, 20, came for more than the smoke. Like many, she came for the spectacle, the cannabis camaraderie and the music, which featured several big names.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m here to see Lil Wayne,\u201d Stojanovic said. \u201cMy friends are visiting from New Jersey, so we\u2019re celebrating and showing them around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Devante Anderson, 26, drove from Wyoming to celebrate 4\/20 in Denver.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is nothing like this in Wyoming, so it\u2019s cool that we can come here and celebrate,\u201d he said. \u201cTwenty years ago, we would all be in jail. Today, we are here having a good time, no need to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Devante Anderson,26, of Wyoming drove all the way to Colorado to celebrate <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/420Denver?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#420Denver<\/a>. \u201cThere is nothing like this in Wyoming, so it\u2019s cool that we can come here and celebrate,\u201d he said. \u201c20 years ago we would all be in jail, today we are here having a good time, no need to hide\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2jZrWVZMhz\">pic.twitter.com\/2jZrWVZMhz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amanda Trejos (@amandatrecon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amandatrecon\/status\/987407919191912448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And, sitting on a patch of grass away from the main stage, there was Kendra Mayle, 27, of Denver.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Kendra Mayle,27 and Marcus Wilson,28, celebrating at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/420Denver?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#420Denver<\/a> with their 5 week old baby girl Ayla <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tVKqu06fAE\">pic.twitter.com\/tVKqu06fAE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Amanda Trejos (@amandatrecon) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amandatrecon\/status\/987426403917365250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 20, 2018<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>She said she, too, wanted to see the spectacle and was excited to see Lil Wayne perform. She brought her 5-week-old baby, Ayla, to the festival.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTechnically, you\u2019re not supposed to smoke,\u201d\u00a0Mayle said, \u201cso we thought it would be fine to bring her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Staff writer Jon Murray contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite 364 days of chaos &#8212; a rumpus over rubbish, a mad dash for permits and, ultimately, a change in organizers &#8212; a cloud of marijuana smoke rose again over Denver&#8217;s Civic Center Park at 4:20 p.m. on Friday, the now-ritual marking of the city&#8217;s annual 4\/20 cannabis festival. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5502,5062,6811,6847,6908,2435,6957,6813,77,6921,9,5019,441,6845,1,3,6923,61,1736],"tags":[5505,5063,6816,6850,6910,2436,6960,6818,2655,6922,5022,3015,6846,6924],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}