DENVER, April 20 (UPI) -- Thousands of people gathered in Denver Saturday to celebrate marijuana and Colorado's decision to legalize recreational pot consumption.
Organizers said the Denver gathering was the largest in the United States this year for 420 Day, which has become an international rallying time for marijuana advocates, The Denver Post reported.
While public pot smoking remains illegal in Colorado, police said law enforcement would be light.
"We're not going to be tackling 10,000 people and writing them all a citation," police spokesman Matt Murray said.
The celebration began at midnight when Snoop Lion, the 41-year-old rap musician born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. who until last year used the stage name Snoop Dogg, threw marijuana cigarettes into the audience at the Fillmore Auditorium.
The High Times Cannabis Cup, a convention usually held in Amsterdam, was transferred to Denver this year. Thousands of people waited outside the EXDO Event Center to get in.
In Boulder, the University of Colorado closed its campus for the second year in a row to prevent a 420 rally. Officials said they would not go as far as they did last year when the quad was sprayed with foul-smelling fertilizer to discourage partying.
Washington state also legalized recreational marijuana use this year. A growing number of states allow medical marijuana.
April 20 is supposed to have become an international day for marijuana because of a group of California high school students 40 years ago. The Post said they used 4-20 as a code for the time they would gather after the end of the school day to share a joint.
Organizers said the Denver gathering was the largest in the United States this year for 420 Day, which has become an international rallying time for marijuana advocates, The Denver Post reported.
While public pot smoking remains illegal in Colorado, police said law enforcement would be light.
"We're not going to be tackling 10,000 people and writing them all a citation," police spokesman Matt Murray said.
The celebration began at midnight when Snoop Lion, the 41-year-old rap musician born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. who until last year used the stage name Snoop Dogg, threw marijuana cigarettes into the audience at the Fillmore Auditorium.
The High Times Cannabis Cup, a convention usually held in Amsterdam, was transferred to Denver this year. Thousands of people waited outside the EXDO Event Center to get in.
In Boulder, the University of Colorado closed its campus for the second year in a row to prevent a 420 rally. Officials said they would not go as far as they did last year when the quad was sprayed with foul-smelling fertilizer to discourage partying.
Washington state also legalized recreational marijuana use this year. A growing number of states allow medical marijuana.
April 20 is supposed to have become an international day for marijuana because of a group of California high school students 40 years ago. The Post said they used 4-20 as a code for the time they would gather after the end of the school day to share a joint.