The 23rd annual marijuana festival in Vancouver is on.
Featuring what organizers describe as the world’s largest cannabis farmer’s market, 4/20 Vancouver has rows and rows of booths offering everything from joints to cookies, extracts, plants, wellness products, clothing, pipes, and jewellery.
“Everybody should have the freedom to do with this plant,” Tina Koller, owner of House of Cannabis (houseofcannabis.ca) told the Georgia Straight. “It’s a plant medicine.”
Koller and her guys have a booth offering various strains of marijuana at Sunset Beach, home of the festival for the second consecutive year. She hopes to open a dispensary in Tsawwassen sometime in the fall.
A battle rapper, who goes by the handle Ruthless, was offering cannabis dabs or marijuana extracts.
According to Ruthless, he grows his own plants and uses the buds to produce a concentrate. “This is just one drop and you’re getting medicated right away,” he explained. He said that he can be found at his Instagram account @Ruthlessdabs.
The federal government has introduced legislation to legalize recreational marijuana. The proposed law includes a provision allowing one individual to grow four plants at home.
Young plants are available for sale at the tent of Big Dank. The owner, who asked not to be named, said a plant is ready for smoking in just two months.
According to the Big Dank owner, one needs a pot, good soil, and high intensity discharge lights to grow indoors.
“It’s ridiculous that it’s illegal in the first place,” he said about the prohibition against growing marijuana.
There are also plenty of edibles.
The owner of Kush Kookies (www.kushkookies.com) and her guys brought to the festival 2,000 bags with a dozen each of cookies. One can pick between Chips Ahigh or Kush Kisses.
“It’s very, very mild,” said the Kush Kookies owner about her product. She has been coming to 4/20 festivals for five years.
Over at Indica Jones and the Temple of Shroom, one can have a mushroom chocolate for $10 a piece or five for a special price of $40.
The mushroom chocolates are made with African cubensis, a type of psychedelic mushroom, and milk chocolate, according to Virginia, who was manning the tent with her friend Ananda.
“It has a mild euphoric effect that connects you to nature,” Virginia explained.
Over at the Love Buds tent, cannabis entrepreneur Curty Sanchez has something different.
“Everybody else is selling cookies, but I’m doing fucking pot sauce and beef jerky,” Sanchez said proudly.
Based in Aldergrove, Sanchez said that Love Buds can be found on Facebook and Instagram. His beef jerky is called O.G. Reef Jerky. He said O.G. stands for ‘Original Gangster’.
Cannabis is known for its medicinal properties, and 4/20 Vancouver has many proprietors of wellness products.
Kaya McLaren of Kayabliss has essential oils, deodorants, skin balms, and other products made with organic ingredients.
For hurts and pains, McClaren’s Kayabliss has a salve with mint essences.
Creams for muscle, joint, and skin pains are also available at the booth of Grandma Mir Mir’s, a Maple Ridge-based business.
According to the fellow at the booth, the company was started by someone who wanted to help a friend with cancer.
There are also different kinds of marijuana paraphernalia at the 4/20 Vancouver event.
Mike Astral and his Hidden Village Creations are selling handmade pipes and bongs. He’s from Kelowna, and it’s his third year at 4/20.
The guys from the local 9/11 Truth movement are also present at Sunset Beach. They’re selling 4/20 shirts.
Jewelery like necklaces and bracelets are available at the booth of Rim Rasta African Creation. The owner, who calls herself Rim Rasta, said that she uses most wood and glass beads. The booth also has bags and scarves for sale.
For herself, the woman brought a jar of marijuana buds. “I’m going to smoke these all day,” she said. According to her, she originally came from Uganda, and her Filipino boyfriend calls her ‘maganda’ [Tagalog word for ‘beautiful’].
Sean Mittet, CEO of the newly-established eyewear company Summer Blues Optics Inc., is hoping that his products will be seen by many.
Mittet says his outfit specializes in “horticulture eyewear” that can shield growers’ eyes from harmful ultraviolet lights. The company also produces polarized glasses for everyday use. For details: www.summerbluesoptics.com.
Aadin Church, a downtown Vancouver barber, heard about the 4/20 event, and convinced his boss, the owner of Ammerose Hair and Nail Salon, that they should set up shop at Sunset Beach.
Church was doing his fifth client by around mid-morning. He said that the girl at the salon who does braids and hair extensions is coming later.
For smokers wanting all organic rolling paper, they can find what they need at the booth of Raw (www.rawthentic.com).
Ashley Lesperance with Raw explained that her company’s rolling papers are made with all natural and unbleached hemp paper.
There’s a lot of weed to choose from at 4/20 Vancouver.
VanCity Organics (www.vancityorganics.com) brought several pounds. The company’s most expensive strain is Kaviar Kush, selling for $35 per 3.5 grams. According to manager Mike, the company does mail order distribution and mobile deliveries, just like pizza.
Mary Jane of Kush Kraze sells joints for $5 a piece or three for $10. Her favourite is the Purple Candy strain, which she said is a B.C. strain.
There’s also a lot of candy at the booth by Vee and her friend with thehighguys.ca.
