Denver 420 Fest Canceled Due to Requirements

420 is a time of celebration where the cannabis community comes together to honor the benefits of cannabis and how it has changed so many lives. Since legalization began to ramp up in the U.S., events have become larger and more spectacular—but even in this era of acceptance, not all events are guaranteed to occur due to a variety of reasons. On Thursday, the organizers behind the Denver 420 announced that the event will not be continuing as planned.

The Denver 420 Fest was set to take place at Cheesman Park in Denver on April 20, but despite plans to feature live music and vendors for attendees to view, organizers stated that things won’t be working out this year. According to The Denver Channel, local neighbors in the area expressed concern about the event regarding noise, traffic and cannabis consumption (even though the event strictly prohibited cannabis use one site).

Event organizers expressed their perspective, “Due to the city of Denver placing extra ordinary requirements on us that they do not place on anyone else events we have to cancel,” the notice says. “We met all of the requirements from the city . . . and they ‘invented’ more that were not part of the normal policies. Due to the last-minute additions that were placed on us we cannot meet the ridiculous requirements of the Denver city Parks and Denver PD.”

In response, the Denver Parks and Recreation department released a statement regarding the topic, “The event organizer had been issued a conditional park permit based on an initial review of their application and was to submit required fees and meet all permitting requirements by the deadline of 21 days prior to their event. Through the city’s evaluation of the proposed event, it was determined that additional safety measures would need to be taken in order for a permit to be issued.”

Regulatory issues and concerns are not uncommon when it comes to cannabis events. Recently a cannabis conference in Las Vegas, Nevada also encountered issues regarding strict rules. When deciding how you will celebrate the holiday, be sure to be safe and compliant with your city and state’s laws.