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 The long-running Bay Area tradition, which authorities closely
monitor but allow, could mark the last such observance while
recreational marijuana remains illegal under state law in
California.
Voters will decide in November whether to approve a ballot measure
that would legalize adult possession and use of the drug for the
purpose of just getting high.
The distinct odor of marijuana smoke mixed with the smell of
barbecue in a gentle breeze wafting over an estimated 15,000
attendees enjoying the sunny day.
"It's pretty chill," said Erik Elder, 19, a college student who
traveled from Sacramento with friends. "It's all lit. It's all just
good vibes."
As the clock struck 4:20 p.m., cheers and clouds of smoke rose into
the air.
 "It's an appreciation of weed, and everyone coming together and
enjoying the same thing," said 19-year-old barista Heidi Rice.
Marijuana, once widely demonized in the United States, has seen
growing acceptance in recent years, especially among younger, more
liberal Americans.
Although cannabis remains classified as an illegal narcotic under
federal law, two dozen U.S. states have approved marijuana for
medical purposes since California became the first to do so in 1996.
Since 2012 recreational use of the drug has been legalized in
Colorado, Washington state, Oregon, Alaska and the District of
Columbia. California is one of several states where advocates are
pushing to follow suit. The date of April 20, or 4/20, corresponds
with the numerical figure widely recognized within the cannabis
subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana.
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Marijuana magazine High Times has written that the concept of 4/20
originated in the early 1970s, as a group of teenagers in the Bay
Area city of San Rafael used it as code to gather after school and
smoke the drug.
San Francisco Supervisor London Breed coordinated with municipal
agencies to handle traffic, litter and public safety issues
surrounding the city's 4/20 event.
Several streets around the area were closed off, public buses were
rerouted, and police increased their presence at the park with both
uniformed and plain-clothes officers.
The event will cost the city between $80,000 to $100,000, according
to Breed's aide, Samantha Roxas. Most of the money goes to cleanup
afterward. Last year, some 5 tons of litter were left behind, she
said.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sara
Catania and Andrew Hay)
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