Daniela Ralph from Ohio is celebrating during the first day of the 4/20 weekend in Civic Center Park on Saturday. ( Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post ) 
 
 Beefy, black-clad security officers — donning bulletproof vests and perched on a scaffolding — peered across Civic Center park through military-style binoculars Saturday as crowds began to grow for the first day of Denver's 4/20 rally. 
 
 Teams of security officers performed "soft" body patdowns and backpack searches before allowing people through any of the several entry gates. An officer only half-jokingly said he was checking for guns, knives and high explosives. 
 
 The watch tower and patdowns are just a few of the enhanced security measures for this year's 4/20 event that were noticeably absent from the 2013 gathering, marred by the shooting of two people in the leg, as well as a stampede toward the stage. Also, a third person was grazed by a bullet in the shooting. 
 
 "It's presidential-style security," chief organizer Miguel Lopez boasted about this weekend. 
 
 He was more sheepish when he spoke of last year's security breaches, when a crowd tumbled through a barricade and trampled one another while ascending the stage. 
 
 This year, Lopez hired three security companies to patrol the two-day event. Glendale Mayor Mike Dunafon, who is running for governor as an independent, also hired a captain and a lieutenant from his department to help. He paid for it himself. One of the security teams had 40 security guards carrying guns and handcuffs. 
 
 "We're armed and everything," said Jesse Peña, owner of Special Agent Security Service. "If we see a crime happen, we do an arrest and then just get a police officer." 
 
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 Police issued citations to a couple of the private security guards for lacking the appropriate license, said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson. 
 
 Part of the reason for enhanced security are projections that because of legal marijuana, the crowds of people from across the country are likely to at least double last year's numbers. Lopez was expecting 80,000 visitors Sunday. 
 
 The Denver Police Department — which said it had cited or arrested 25 people, 17 for public marijuana smoking, on Saturday — invited state and federal law enforcement officers to tour its command center at police headquarters a block away. The communications center has about 50 TV screens that can flip back and forth to 138 HALO and 38 traffic cameras. 
 
 Pat Phelan, commander of the department's special-operations unit, said the cameras will ensure rapid deployment of a beefed-up downtown police presence Saturday and Sunday. 
 
 "We don't expect to see a problem, but we're prepared if there is," Cmdr. Matt Murray said Saturday. 
 
 Avid marijuana inhaler Guy Orvis, 62, of Denver, who rode to the festival in a wheelchair rigged out like a lounge chair, said the extra security makes a lot of sense. 
 
 "It puts everybody on notice to keep it on the down low. I'm not about violence or anything," he said. 
 
 He denied that the smoke — with a particular scent — pumping out of a cannister at the back of his wheelchair was cannabis-infused. But a small crowd of people followed him around the park sniffing deeply and giggling. ||||| DENVER (AP) — Once the province of activists and stoners, the traditional pot holiday of April 20 has gone mainstream in the first state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana. 
 
 Partygoers dance to live music and smoke pot on the first of two days at the annual 4/20 marijuana festival in Denver, Saturday April 19, 2014. The annual event is the first 420 marijuana celebration... (Associated Press) 
 
 Party goers dance at the annual 4/20 marijuana festival near downtown Denver at Civic Center Park, Saturday, April 19, 2014. The two-day festival, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people,... (Associated Press) 
 
 With the Colorado state capitol building visible in the background, partygoers dance and smoke pot on the first of two days at the annual 4/20 marijuana festival in Denver, Saturday April 19, 2014. The... (Associated Press) 
 
 Party goers dance at the annual 4/20 marijuana festival near downtown Denver at Civic Center Park, Saturday, April 19, 2014. The two-day festival, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people,... (Associated Press) 
 
 CORRECTS TO 4/20 MARIJUANA FESTIVAL -Police officers mounted on bikes patrol Civic Center Park on the first of two days at the 4/20 marijuana festival at Civic Center Park in Denver, Saturday April 19,... (Associated Press) 
 
 With the Colorado state capitol building visible in the background, partygoers dance to live music and smoke pot on the first of two days at the annual 4/20 marijuana festival in Denver, Saturday April... (Associated Press) 
 
 Tens of thousands gathered for a weekend of Colorado cannabis-themed festivals and entertainment, from a marijuana industry expo called the Cannabis Cup at a trade center north of downtown, to 4/20-themed concerts at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater — acts include Slightly Stoopid and Snoop Dogg — to a massive festival in the shadow of the state capitol where clouds of cannabis smoke are expected to waft at 4:20 p.m. MDT Sunday. 
 
 The festival in Denver's Civic Center Park is the most visible sign of the transformation. It started as a defiant gathering of marijuana activists, but this year the event has an official city permit, is organized by an events management company and featured booths selling funnel cakes and Greek food next to kiosks hawking hemp lollipops and glass pipes. 
 
 Gavin Beldt, one of the organizers, said in a statement that the event is now a "celebration of legal status for its use in Colorado and our launch of an exciting new experience for those attending. " 
 
 On Saturday, the first day of the two-day festival, only a few people lingered on the steps of a Roman-style amphitheater where marijuana activists spoke angrily about bans on the drug in other states. Thousands instead lingered on the park's broad lawns, listening to hip-hop music blasting from the sound stage and enjoying the fresh, albeit marijuana-scented, air. 
 
 "It's a lot mellower this year," said Cody Andrews, 29, of Denver. "It's more of a venue now. More vendor-y." 
 
 Last year's event was marred by an unsolved shooting that wounded three. This year a fence rings the park. Security guards in protective gear roam the grounds, and all entrants are being checked for weapons. 
 
 Earlier this year, there was tension when some organizers wanted to officially sanction a 4:20 p.m. Sunday smokeout, but the city noted that public consumption of marijuana is still illegal in Colorado. By Saturday night, Denver police said they had issued at least 17 citations for public pot smoking. 
 
 Still, participants expect to light up on Sunday, which happens to also be Easter Sunday. Plenty weren't waiting until 4/20 proper. On Saturday, Jairin Genung, 25, of Aurora, sat on the grass with friends, including one who was carefully rolling a thick joint. 
 
 "We're going to light up no matter what," Genung said. "If you can't smoke at the 4/20 rally, it just doesn't make sense." 
 
 The whole scene was wonderfully surreal for Bud Long, 49, from Kalamazoo, Mich., who recalled taking part in his first 4/20 protest in 1984. 
 
 "Nationwide, it'll be decriminalized," he predicted, "and we'll be doing this in every state." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Follow Nicholas Riccardi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NickRiccardi . ||||| Story highlights Tens of thousands turn out for first 420 celebration since Colorado began legal pot sales 
 
 "420 Rally," Cannabis Cup competition, Snoop Dogg concert among highlights 
 
 Many traveled from out of state, even abroad, to buy and smoke marijuana legally 
 
 CannaBUS takes hundreds to dispensaries; expo puts weed business on display 
 
 Coming to the Mile High City this weekend was the perfect 65th birthday present for Karen Stevenson. She and her husband drove out of the Bible Belt to experience, for the first time, what it's like to buy and smoke weed legally. 
 
 She wore a T-shirt featuring an image of María Sabina, a late-Mexican shaman, puffing on a joint -- a shirt that, until this day, she never dared to wear outside her Cape Girardeau, Missouri, home. 
 
 "It's kind of like being a part of history," she said Saturday, while waiting for a bus in front of a marijuana-themed sandwich shop. "I used to want to go to Amsterdam. Now I don't have to." 
 
 JUST WATCHED 420 Rally celebrates pot legalization Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH 420 Rally celebrates pot legalization 01:34 PLAY VIDEO 
 
 The origin of the term 420 
 
 The Stevensons are among the tens of thousands of visitors -- by some estimates 80,000 -- who've come to Denver to mark 420 (April 20), a date that's emerged as a holiday among those steeped in cannabis culture. 
 
 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Partygoers listen to live music and smoke pot on day two of the annual 420 Rally in Denver on Sunday, April 20, 2014. 420 is a once clandestine term used in pot culture to refer to marijuana. Hide Caption 1 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Fans react to the MTHDS as they preform during the 420 Rally in Denver's Civic Center Park on April 20. Hide Caption 2 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Marijuana smoke fills the air at 4:20 p.m. in Civic Center Park in Denver on April 20. Hide Caption 3 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Partygoers listen to live music and smoke pot at Denver's 420 Rally on April 20. Hide Caption 4 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Ryme Windham smokes marijuana at 4:20 pm outside at Hempfest on April 20 in Seattle. Seattle Hempfest is an annual event for the purpose of educating the public about the benefits of marijuana and advocating for its decriminalization. Hide Caption 5 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – John the Freak teaches a joint rolling class at Seattle's Hempfest on April 20. Hide Caption 6 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Attendees look at glass pipes used for smoking marijuana being sold at Hempfest on April 20 in Seattle. Hide Caption 7 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – A young woman smokes marijuana during a demonstration calling for cannabis to be legalized at a 420 Day event in Hyde Park in London on Sunday, April 20. Hide Caption 8 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – British police look on as a cloud of smoke rises over protesters in London's Hyde Park. Hide Caption 9 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – People gather on the lawns of Parliament Hill on April 20 during the Fill the Hill marijuana rally in Ottawa, Canada. Hide Caption 10 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – A man in a bear costume smokes a joint on April 20 at the Fill the Hill marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Hide Caption 11 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – People gather on the lawns of Parliament Hill during the Fill the Hill marijuana rally in Ottawa on April 20. Hide Caption 12 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Ed Forchion, a pro-marijuana activist known as NJ Weedman, carries a large cross with huge likeness of a marijuana leaf on April 20 as he walks in front of the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton, New Jersey. Dozens of activists and community members gathered in front of Statehouse to show their support for legalizing marijuana. Hide Caption 13 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Partygoers dance and smoke pot on the first of two days of The Official 420 Rally annual marijuana festival in Denver on Saturday, April 19. This is the first year of the festival where it has been legal to sell marijuana for recreational use in Colorado. Hide Caption 14 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Sarah Rader of Colorado Springs hula-hoops in Civic Center Park in Denver on April 19. Hide Caption 15 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Zion I performs at Denver's festival on April 19. Hide Caption 16 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – "Chaz" shows off his marijuana themed hat in Denver on April 19. Hide Caption 17 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Police officers on bikes patrol Denver's Civic Center Park on April 19, the first day of the festival. Hide Caption 18 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Partygoers listen to live music on April 19. Hide Caption 19 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – Denver hip-hop duo Bass Physics performs at Civic Center Park in Denver on April 19. Hide Caption 20 of 21 Photos: Celebrating 420 21 photos Celebrating 420 – A glittery pot leaf adorns the cheek of an attendee in Denver on April 19. Hide Caption 21 of 21 EXPAND GALLERY 
 
 Weed and a tale of two cities 
 
 Though the date has long been observed in Colorado, this is the first celebration since recreational sales of marijuana became legal here on New Year's Day. (Recreational use became legal in late 2012.) 
 
 Replete with the Denver "420 Rally" in Civic Center Park, the High Times Cannabis Cup -- an expo and a competition sponsored by the magazine -- and a 420 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre headlined by Snoop Dogg, the weekend has drawn the trappings one might expect. Dreadlocks. Tie-dye. T-shirts brandishing phrases like "Cheech & Chong for President." 
 
 Those predictable, or stereotypical, images, however, only tell part of the story. 
 
 They don't speak for the white-haired Mississippi man who looked like he'd walked out of a law firm on casual Friday. They don't reflect what drew a Crohn's disease patient from Missouri. Nor do they represent three older Texas women, one with her nails perfectly manicured in hot pink and her hair done just so, who advocate on behalf of seniors and are working to reform marijuana laws. 
 
 "We're not trying to force people to smoke pot," said Dawn Brooks, 62, of Austin, the one with the bright nails. "Cannabis is merely a plant. That's all it is. And more and more seniors are coming out of the closet." 
 
 This is a weekend that draws people of various backgrounds and with different needs and desires. 
 
 That said, for many of those who turned out Saturday, the vast majority it seemed from out-of-state, it was all about the smoking. And for some of them, it was in a frenzied way -- a mad rush to try everything because they couldn't take any of it home. 
 
 Kate, a 30-year-old from Kansas City, Missouri, was waiting with her boyfriend, Scott, for a free bus ride to the Cannabis Cup expo at Denver Mart. 
 
 "It's like his Super Bowl," said Kate, who, like many people we spoke to, didn't want her last name used. "He's been giddy about it for weeks. ... Super stoked is an understatement." 
 
 Bus to Show, a nonprofit that works to reduce intoxicated driving, partnered with High Times to offer transportation this weekend. It set up a downtown location for pickups and drop-offs outside Cheba Hut, a marijuana-themed sub shop. 
 
 Besides the free shuttles to and from the expo, the organization sold out a $20-a-day hop-on, hop-off shuttle tour of what it called The Cannabis Freedom Trail. The CannaBUS, as the tour shuttles are called, have been shepherding as many as 200 people a day to various cannabis dispensaries around town. 
 
 On one tour we joined, smoke wafted out windows. Strangers shared pipes and exchanged samples of weed and wax, a concentrated form of marijuana. Canisters of buds bearing names like "tangerine haze" and "strawberry cough," were passed around to smell. Nutella pancakes came up in conversations at least three times. 
 
 Wearing a neon green wig and green Power Ranger mini-dress, Teri Starbird, 50, who lives outside Wichita, Kansas, lit up some "Bruce Banner." It is one of the contenders in this year's Cannabis Cup competition. 
 
 "Oh, that's very smooth," she said, passing the pipe to her friend. "But I'll tell you what, there are some mad scientists in this town. Some of this stuff makes you plain stupid." 
 
 While other groups actually visited dispensaries on the tour, no one in this crew bothered to get off the bus. Two guys from South Jersey sat dazed, staring out their windows. 
 
 "I'm too f**king stoned to get out," said a 22-year-old from New Mexico, who donned a Captain America baseball cap and heroically bounded over bus seats to take a hit of what others were smoking. 
 
 Back at the sandwich shop, the final stop on the tour, he and the others had no choice but to stumble off the bus. 
 
 "Chaz" shows off his marijuana-themed hat during the 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver. 
 
 Inside Cheba Hut, where 12-inch subs are called "blunts," drinks are listed as "cotton mouth cures" and desserts and chips fall under "munchies," a woman from Brooklyn, New York, stared up at the menu board -- her eyes as wide as her smile. 
 
 "Oh, my God, that bread's crazy," she said loudly to no one. "Oh, my God, they have Kool-Aid here! What?" 
 
 Outside, bus driver Jody Stonebraker called us on board for the free ride to the expo. She offered lighters and bottles of water to her passengers as she drove them to Denver Mart, where tens of thousands gathered for the High Times Cannabis Cup. With bus windows open to keep her sober, she moved us on. 
 
 A guy from San Francisco struggled to roll a joint; when the bus stopped short, his weed went flying. A man from Florida looked around at the peaceful, smiling faces of his fellow passengers and wanted to know where else people were this happy. And a conversation across the aisle between two people began and ended like this: 
 
 "What was your favorite?" 
 
 "Green." 
 
 "What?" 
 
 Stonebraker, 54, said she's met people this weekend from all over the country, even the world -- including Germany, Japan and Mexico. She can't stop singing the praises of her cannabis-loving passengers. 
 
 "It's been so fun, and I'm getting paid for this," she said. "I tended bar for 16 years, and they were all jerks. Every other person, you wanted to shoot. You guys are awesome!" 
 
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 That sort of comparison to drinkers came up time and again. People who waited three hours to get into Denver Mart boasted that there were no fights, screaming or pushing. 
 
 A couple from Kansas City, Missouri, was among those who waited for hours to get in, but Sam, 58, and Joyce, 53, couldn't have looked less put out. They were draped in Mardi Gras beads. He wore a jester's hat; she a crown made of plastic marijuana leaves. They were simply thrilled. 
 
 "Nobody's tripping. Nobody's acting like you're from Mars," Joyce said. "There's freedom to smoke. You don't have to hide in a basement or under a blanket." 
 
 The couple, married for 32 years, raised children successfully. Sam spent 35 years working his tail off in the commercial roofing business. 
 
 "So don't tell me it makes me lazy," he said. 
 
 In hallways outside the exhibition hall, people sat on the floor, tossing back small bags of Cheetos and Doritos. A man was hunched over in a corner, taking a nap. Another guy greeted people just inside, offering patriotic-looking stickers that resembled those handed out on Election Day -- except these said "I Smoked." 
 
 A stroll past the booths in the packed hall offered a head-spinning glimpse into the big business that is cannabis. 
 
 There were hydrocarbon extraction machines, easy at-home growing systems, and high-powered leaf trimmers. There were academies offering certification courses, products to detoxify the body, and tips and tools to make edibles. There were cannabis-themed clothing companies, glass pipes available in all shapes -- including that of Mr. Potato Head -- and people sitting beneath lights and in front of cameras for a segment of The Plant Channel. 
 
 There was even an agency called Hemp Temps, to meet the staffing needs of the growing industry. 
 
 Behind the building, in a fenced-in outdoor area where 21-and-over wristbands were checked before entry, the smoke was thick. 
 
 Attendees crowded couches beneath tents, sampling wares. A grown man, dressed as an Oompa-Loompa, walked by as another guy inhaled smoke from a three-foot-long bong. An emergency medical team tended to an older man who passed out, his head bleeding from when it hit the pavement after he smoked a dab, or high-grade hash oil. 
 
 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Customers wait in a long line for their turn to buy recreational marijuana outside the LoDo Wellness Center on Wednesday, January 1, in Denver. Colorado is the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. Hide Caption 1 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Donald Andrews, whose family owns and runs the LoDo Wellness Center, hands out tickets marking customers' place in the line. Hide Caption 2 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Hailey Andrews, who manages the LoDo Wellness Center, fills an order for a customer. Colorado residents can now buy marijuana like alcohol, but purchases are limited to an ounce at a time. Hide Caption 3 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Andrews examines marijuana plants in the grow room of the LoDo Wellness Center. Pot is the third most popular recreational drug in America, after alcohol and tobacco, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Hide Caption 4 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Marijuana plants thrive in the grow room of the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 5 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Marijuana dries next to a harvest calendar in the grow room of the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 6 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Beej Jackson, left, and Amber Bacca serve customers in Evergreen Apothecary in Denver. In 2012, 55% of Colorado voters said yes to legalizing recreational marijuana. Hide Caption 7 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Jackson fills a display with THC lollipops in the Evergreen Apothecary. Hide Caption 8 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Different strains of marijuana are displayed in the Evergreen Apothecary. Hide Caption 9 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Leica Zayat and Mark Harris serve customers in Evergreen Apothecary. Hide Caption 10 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – People line up to buy recreational marijuana outside of Evergreen Apothecary. Hide Caption 11 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Customers wait to be served in the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 12 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Pamphlets about the legal recreational use of marijuana sit on a desk at the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 13 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – People line up to buy recreational marijuana at the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 14 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Marijuana plants sit under grow lights at the 3D Cannabis Center in Denver. Hide Caption 15 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, speaks to the media after becoming the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado. "It's huge," he said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet." Hide Caption 16 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Customers buy edible marijuana products at the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 17 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Marijuana paraphernalia sits on display at the LoDo Wellness Center. Communities and counties in Colorado can still choose not to allow marijuana stores in their local jurisdictions. Hide Caption 18 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Mark Wootten, left, and Tom McCoy purchase marijuana products at the LoDo Wellness Center. Hide Caption 19 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Marijuana prices are on display at the 3D Cannabis Center. Tax revenue from retail pot sales will initially amount to $67 million a year, with $27.5 million of it designated to build schools, state officials say. Hide Caption 20 of 21 Photos: Retail pot shops open in Colorado 21 photos Retail pot shops open in Colorado – Darren Austin, left, and his son Tyler line up outside the 3D Cannabis Center. Hide Caption 21 of 21 EXPAND GALLERY 
 
 History of marijuana in America 40 photos History of marijuana in America 40 photos Public perceptions about pot have come a long way, from the dire warnings of "Reefer Madness" to growing acceptance of medical marijuana and the legalization of recreational use. Hide Caption 1 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Harry Anslinger was named commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics when it was established in 1930. While arguing for marijuana prohibition, he played on Americans' fear of crime and foreigners. He spun tales of people driven to insanity or murder after ingesting the drug and spoke of the 2 to 3 tons of grass being produced in Mexico. "This, the Mexicans make into cigarettes, which they sell at two for 25 cents, mostly to white high school students," Anslinger told Congress. Hide Caption 2 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A poster advertises the 1936 scare film "Reefer Madness," which described marijuana as a "violent narcotic" that first renders "sudden, violent, uncontrollable laughter" on its users before "dangerous hallucinations" and then "acts of shocking violence ... ending often in incurable insanity." Hide Caption 3 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Marijuana cigarettes are hidden in a book circa 1940. Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937, effectively criminalizing the drug. Hide Caption 4 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Even after Congress cracked down on marijuana in 1937, farmers were encouraged to grow the crop for rope, sails and parachutes during World War II. The "Hemp for Victory" film was released in 1942 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hide Caption 5 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A woman buys ready-rolled marijuana cigarettes from a dealer at her door circa 1955. Hide Caption 6 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Members of the Grateful Dead talk with reporters from their home in San Francisco on October 5, 1967. The band was protesting being arrested for marijuana possession. Hide Caption 7 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos U.S. Customs agents track the nationwide marijuana market during Operation Intercept, an anti-drug measure announced by President Nixon in 1969. The initiative intended to keep Mexican marijuana from entering the United States. Hide Caption 8 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Research scientist Dr. Reese T. Jones, right, adjusts the electrodes monitoring a volunteer's brain response to sound during an experiment in 1969 that used a controlled dosage of marijuana. The tests were conducted at the Langley Porter Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. Hide Caption 9 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Marijuana use became more widespread in the 1960s, reflecting the rising counterculture movement. Hide Caption 10 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos People share a joint during a 1969 concert in Portland, Oregon. In 1973, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize cannabis. Hide Caption 11 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Police dogs trained to smell out hidden marijuana examine U.S. soldiers' luggage at the airport during the Vietnam War in 1969. Drug use was widespread during the war. Hide Caption 12 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Marijuana reform was the Life magazine cover story in October 1969. The banner read: "At least 12 million Americans have now tried it. Are penalties too severe? Should it be legalized?" Hide Caption 13 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Protesters wade in the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington during the "Honor America Day Smoke-In" thrown by marijuana activists in response to the official "Honor America Day" rally organized by President Nixon supporters at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 1970. Hide Caption 14 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Panel members of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse attend a hearing In Denver on January 10, 1972. From left, Dr. J. Thomas Ungerleider, psychiatrist; Michael R. Sonnenreich, commission executive director; Raymond P. Shafer, commission chairman; Mitchell Ware, Chicago attorney; Charles O. Galvin, Dallas law school dean. The commission's findings favored ending marijuana prohibition and adopting other methods to discourage use, but the Nixon administration refused to implement its recommendations. Hide Caption 15 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos President Jimmy Carter, with his special assistant for health issues, Dr. Peter Bourne, beside him, talks to reporters at the White House about his drug abuse control message to Congress on August 2, 1977. Among other things, he called for the elimination of all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. Hide Caption 16 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos First lady Nancy Reagan participates in a drug education class at Island Park Elementary School on Mercer Island, Washington, on February 14, 1984. She later recalled, "A little girl raised her hand and said, 'Mrs. Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born." She became known for her involvement in the "Just Say No" campaign. Hide Caption 17 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Robert Randall smokes marijuana that was prescribed to treat his glaucoma in 1988. He became the first legal medical marijuana patient in modern America after winning a landmark case in 1976. Hide Caption 18 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos President George H. Bush holds up a copy of the National Drug Control Strategy during a meeting in the Oval Office on September 5, 1989. In a televised address to the nation, Bush asked Americans to join the war on drugs. Hide Caption 19 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A television ad aired in 1996 by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's campaign included footage from a 1992 MTV interview of a laughing President Clinton saying he would inhale marijuana if given the chance to relive his college days. Hide Caption 20 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Dennis Peron takes notes during a phone interview while Gary Johnson lights up at the Proposition 215 headquarters in San Francisco on October 11, 1996. The ballot measure was approved when voters went to the polls in November, allowing medical marijuana in California. Hide Caption 21 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos People in New York gather for a pro-cannabis rally on May 4, 2002. That same day, almost 200 similar events took place around the world to advocate for marijuana legalization. It was dubbed the "Million Marijuana March." Hide Caption 22 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Different varieties of medical marijuana are seen at the Alternative Herbal Health Services cannabis dispensary in San Francisco on April 24, 2006. The Food and Drug Administration issued a controversial statement a week earlier rejecting the use of medical marijuana, declaring that there is no scientific evidence supporting use of the drug for medical treatment. Hide Caption 23 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Medicinal marijuana patient Angel Raich wipes her eyes during a press conference on March 14, 2007, in Oakland, California. The 9th circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that 41-year-old Raich, who used medicinal marijuana to curb pain from a brain tumor as well as other ailments, did not have the legal right to claim medical necessity to avoid the possibility of prosecution under federal drug laws. Hide Caption 24 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Coffeeshop Blue Sky worker Jon Sarro, left, shows a customer different strains of medical marijuana on July 22, 2009, in Oakland, California. Voters in the city approved a measure during a vote-by-mail special election for a new tax on sales of medicinal marijuana at cannabis dispensaries. Hide Caption 25 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A patient prepares to smoke at home in Portland, Maine, on October 22, 2009, a decade after the state approved a medical marijuana referendum. Hide Caption 26 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Sonja Gibbins walks through her growing warehouse in Fort Collins, Colorado, on April 19, 2010. Since the state approved medical marijuana in 2000, Colorado has seen a boom in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses. So far 20 states and the District of Columbia have made smoking marijuana for medical purposes legal. Hide Caption 27 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Marijuana activist Steve DeAngelo wears a "Yes on Prop 19" button as he speaks during a news conference in Oakland, California, on October 12, 2010, to bring attention to the state measure to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in California. Voters rejected the proposal. Hide Caption 28 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Nutrient products are placed on shelves in the weGrow marijuana cultivation supply store during its grand opening on March 30, 2012, in Washington, D.C. The store is a one-stop-shop for supplies and training to grow plants indoors, except for the actual marijuana plants or seeds. Legislation was enacted in 2010 authorizing the establishment of regulated medical marijuana dispensaries in the nation's capital. Hide Caption 29 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos People light up near the Space Needle in Seattle after the law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana went into effect in Washington on December 6, 2012. Hide Caption 30 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A man smokes a joint during the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana social club in Denver, on New Year's Eve 2012. Voters in Colorado and Washington state passed referendums to legalize recreational marijuana on November 6, 2012. Hide Caption 31 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Members of a crowd numbering tens of thousands smoke and listen to live music at the Denver 420 Rally on April 20, 2013. Annual festivals celebrating marijuana are held around the world on April 20, a counterculture holiday. Hide Caption 32 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Sean Azzariti, an Iraq war veteran and marijuana activist, becomes the first person to legally purchase recreational marijuana in Colorado on January 1, 2014. Colorado was the first state in the nation to allow retail pot shops. "It's huge," Azzariti said. "It hasn't even sunk in how big this is yet." Hide Caption 33 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos In April, Maryland became the 18th state to decriminalize marijuana possession. Research published by the Pew Research Center in February showed 54% of Americans support legalization of marijuana. Hide Caption 34 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Matt Figi's 7-year-old daughter Charlotte was once severely ill. But a special strain of medical marijuana known as Charlotte's Web, which was named after the girl early in her treatment, has significantly reduced her seizures. In July, Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pennsylvania, introduced a three-page bill that would amend the Controlled Substances Act -- the federal law that criminalizes marijuana -- to exempt plants like Charlotte's Web that have an extremely low percentage of THC, the chemical that makes users high. Hide Caption 35 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos On July 27, the New York Times published " High Time: An Editorial Series on Marijuana Legalization ," which called for the federal government to repeal its ban on marijuana. Hide Caption 36 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Alaska Cannabis Club CEO Charlo Greene prepares to roll a joint at the medical marijuana dispensary in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, February 20. Several days later, Alaska became the third state in the nation to allow recreational marijuana. Hide Caption 37 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos A woman smokes pot at her home in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 26. It was the first day it was legal to possess marijuana for recreational purposes in the nation's capital. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser defied threats from Congress by implementing a voter-approved initiative, making the city the only place east of the Mississippi River where people can legally grow and share marijuana in private. Hide Caption 38 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Employees make last-minute preparations before the grand opening of The Cannabis Corner in North Bonneville, Washington, on Saturday, March 7. The pot shop is the first city-owned recreational marijuana store in the country. Hide Caption 39 of 40 History of marijuana in America 40 photos Georgia Rep. Allen Peake celebrates with Kristi Baggarly, holding her daughter Kimber, after the state Senate approved Peake's medical marijuana bill Tuesday, March 24, in Atlanta. The bill will legalize possession of cannabis oil for treatment of certain medical conditions, such as the seizures suffered by Baggarly's daughter Kendle. Hide Caption 40 of 40 EXPAND GALLERY 
 
 The young woman who gave it to him cried, her hand trembling as she held a cigarette. 
 
 While some pulled out cell phones to take pictures of the man on the ground, others flocked to the shaken woman. 
 
 "It's not your fault. It's not your fault," they said. "He chose to take a dab." 
 
 Amid this scare, and across town, there were reminders of the good that many say cannabis does when people are educated and use it responsibly. 
 
 At The Giving Tree of Denver, a dispensary, one of the managers prepared to close for the day. Dina Compassion marveled about the people she'd met so far this weekend. 
 
 They'd come from all over the United States. They were people suffering from PTSD, seizures and arthritis. They were cancer survivors. They were parents worried about their sick children. They were residents of other states who are thinking of moving to Colorado so they can "manage pain in a safe way and not be carted off to jail," she said. 
 
 Compassion, 29, understands the benefits as much as anyone. After a serious car accident left her with nerve damage along the entire right side of her body, nothing seemed to help her regain feeling and movement -- until she tried cannabis. 
 
 "It was a huge game changer," she said. "I'm now planning a rock climbing trip for this summer." 
 
 What she sees in her dispensary, what she sees in the crowds of people who've descended upon Denver this weekend, is a growing sense of community, a feeling that's expanding nationwide. 
 
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 So even though some might think the 420 fight is over in Colorado, now that it's legal, Compassion says rallying behind the cause is as important as ever. 
 
 "It's now a statement to other states, to the United States, a way to support the community," she said. "This isn't going away." 
 
 While medical marijuana use is legal in 21 states and the District of Columbia, Washington is the only other state that has legalized recreational use. 
 
 For those afraid to speak out themselves, she said, what happens in Denver "gives them a voice."
– Potheads in Colorado aren't letting a little thing like the fact that The Man says it's OK deter them from lighting up a 4/20 weekend that's suddenly gone mainstream: As CNN reports, the Mile High City is throwing itself a party that by some estimates has attracted 80,000 visitors. The two-day event, which apparently culminates with a wave of pot smoke as partygoers light up at 4:20pm local time, features a "4/20 Rally," a High Times Cannabis Cup, and a concert headlined by—you guessed it—Snoop Dogg. "It's like his Super Bowl," says Kate, who oddly wouldn't give her last name, of her boyfriend. "He's been giddy about it for weeks. ... Super stoked is an understatement." Others were less enamored: "It's a lot mellower this year," 29-year-old Cody Andrews tells the AP. "It's more of a venue now. More vendor-y." And it's definitely not all peace and love, man: Security is pretty tight, reports the Denver Post, complete with patdowns and beefy guards. "It's presidential-style security," says the event organizer.