4/20 rally draws marijuana enthusiasts to Alberta Legislature

Thousands ofAlbertansgathered at the provincial legislature for a celebration ofcannabisculture Sunday afternoon.

The event, known as 4/20, takes place every year on April 20 at about 4:20 p.m.as part of worldwide demonstrations for the legalization of marijuana.

In Edmonton, participants include the Alberta Marijuana Party and other lobby groups around the province.

• 440 lbs. of marijuana seized from 3 Edmonton homes

Pro-marijuana legalization rallies were also held across the country on Sunday.

In Ottawa, police estimated more than 2,000 people hit Parliament Hill for a rally and in Montreal, potenthusiastscongregated on Mont-Royal to partake in the event.Hundreds also turned out at rallies in Vancouver and Toronto.

Local 4/20 organizers were advertising events from Whitehorse to Halifax, Iqaluit to Windsor, Ont., in Dallas, Texas, and Birmingham, Ala., London, Belfast, Reykjavik, Aukland, Lima and Cape Town, South Africa, to name just a few.

The 4/20 moniker originated from California in the early 1970s. The event spread to north of the border when a group of Vancouver activistsheld the first day-long rally on April 20 in 1995.