The Vancouver park board has voted to ban 4/20 rallies and Cannabis Day events from city parks, even as organizers vowed this year’s April 20 event will go on, with or without the board’s approval. 

The decision by the board Monday night blunted plans by the Vancouver 4/20 Events Society, which applied for a permit to hold this year’s smoke-in at Sunset Beach park.

“This is not an anti-marijuana motion,” said commissioner John Coupar, who put forward the motion to deny permits for pot-related events at park board properties.

The board is concerned allowing permits for the event would set a precedent and encourage other smoking events at parks and beaches. Smoking goes against the park board’s bylaws and its mandate of promoting health, and allowing the permit for a marijuana protest that’s also widely considered a commercial event with vendors selling marijuana and edibles could harm the park board’s reputation as it could be seen as condoning the sale and consumption of an illegal product, said a staff report. 

“I’m very concerned we, as commissioners, could actually suspend our own bylaws for one group for one event,” said Coupar, who expressed skepticism organizers could regulate the event properly as well as prevent access of marijuana by minors. 

The 4/20 rallies have been held outside the Vancouver Art Gallery since 1995 until last year, when the city put up fences around the plaza, forcing organizer to move to Sunset Beach park — a move that essentially “downloaded” the event to the park board, said Coupar. 

Last year’s rally drew an estimated 25,000 to the beach and came with a price tag of $148,000, including policing costs of about $100,000.

On park board staff’s recommendation, the nearby aquatic centre was closed that day due to concerns over crowds and smoke getting into the centre’s air intake system. While the event was largely peaceful and mellow, two large piles of garbage were left behind on-site. The park board also received complaints from area residents about the noise, smell and disruption caused by the event. 

The staff report acknowledged the 4/20 rally will take place at Sunset Beach park on April 20 regardless of the park board’s decision.

It recommended the board grant a special permit for this year’s event, while staff continue to work to find an alternate location in the future. A permit would allow organizers to obtain insurance coverage, allow the park board to bill organizers for some event expenses, which this year is estimated at $155,000, and provide better control and compliance over the event, said the report. 

The area of Sunset Beach which the 4/20 rally would have covered. 

Park board staff had previously offered two other alternate sites for the 4/20 event. The Cavalia site in southeast False Creek near the Olympic Village was rejected by organizers, while a second site, the PNE, was met with interest but rejected by PNE management, at least for 2017. 

Dana Larsen, an organizer with the Vancouver 4/20 Events Society and director of Sensible B.C., said he was disappointed with the board’s vote.

“It’s a bad decision,” said Larsen, adding that the fact the park board banned 4/20 from all its parks show “it’s about prejudice against the cannabis community and users instead of trying to protect Sunset Beach.”

He said his group had applied for a permit in July and was willing to work with the park board to put together a safe and compliant event. He said the society would have been able to pay $40,000 this year toward permit fees to help cover event costs had a permit been granted. 

The annual 4/20 rally is going to happen, no matter what, said Larsen. “Even if I cancel the event, people are going to show up. We don’t promote the event. It has a life of its own. It’ll just be a chaotic uncontrolled mess.”